Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola expects Kevin De Bruyne to be out for “some time” and says the midfielder will not be rushed back until he is 100 per cent fit.
City will be without both De Bruyne and defender Kyle Walker for Wednesday’s Champions League fixture against Sparta Prague.
Guardiola is still unable to put a timeframe on De Bruyne’s return after he sustained a groin injury last month, while Walker is out with a knee injury.
The duo join long-term injury absentees Rodri and Oscar Bobb in missing the home match against the Czech side.
Guardiola said: “We are well, except as you know Rodri and Oscar. The other ones are training and getting better. Some are not fully fit, like Kevin.”
When it was suggested by a reporter that De Bruyne could remain out for “some time” yet, the 53-year-old responded, “Yeah”.
Guardiola continued: “It’s not a big issue. He doesn’t feel completely fine and Kevin is not 22 years old any more. He has to be fit for his football and he has to be completely fit.
“He doesn’t feel fully comfortable so he cannot express his incredible potential at his best. He is training a little bit better, but he doesn’t feel ready. He said to me he doesn’t feel good so I told him to take his time.
“He has to be ready.”
De Bruyne was withdrawn at half-time in City’s Champions League draw against Inter Milan last month and has not played since.
Guardiola added: “Of course we hope we had a full squad as we are missing four key players but all the clubs around the world have similar issues if you play in three competitions and Europe.”
Injury offers glimpse at life beyond De Bruyne
De Bruyne has missed the last six matches in domestic and European football. City have coped well without their key playmaker in the past, including last season when he needed hamstring surgery after suffering an injury in their opening Premier League win against Burnley. He was out for almost five months.
His current deal is set to expire next summer and he has been vocal about the possibility of pursuing another challenge – such as the Middle East – in the past.
“At my age you have to be open to everything,” De Bruyne told Belgian outlet Het Laatste Nieuws during the summer window.
“You’re talking about incredible amounts of money in what may be the end of my career. Sometimes you have to think about that.”
Foden ‘happy and fit’
There is better news for City regarding Phil Foden, with Guardiola suggesting the forward is back to his best.
On Monday Night Football, Jamie Carragher said he would not expect Foden, on current form, to be a starter for England under new manager Thomas Tuchel.
But Guardiola said: “He feels much better in the last couple of games. You feel when he is happy and fit. You realise immediately that he is getting better and better.”
Finding ways to win in Rodri’s absence
Guardiola says he pleased with the way his team have responded to being without another key player, Rodri, in recent weeks. The Spaniard suffered an ACL injury against Arsenal and faces the rest of the season out.
“I’m more than happy. There are many things I’ve seen that I like. There are still things we have to improve to solve it, but we are there,” Guardiola said.
“Apart from the last 20 minutes against Fulham, when I didn’t recognise my team, the rest of the games we’ve been fine. There have been many occasions where teams who have won the league, the next season they didn’t qualify for the Champions League.
“But still we are there, having won six of the last seven titles. We are still there and how we celebrate wins against teams at the bottom in October – not in May – I can see the team still has the passion and they still want it.
“That means a lot to me. It says a lot about the mentality the club has and of the players as they know how difficult it is to be consistent for six or seven years.”