Manchester City star Kevin De Bruyne has made strong progress in his attempts to return to full fitness during the international break and is on the brink of regaining a starting berth as the Etihad Stadium giants look to get their Premier League title defence back on track, GIVEMESPORT sources have revealed.
The Sky Blues will head into this weekend’s clash with Tottenham Hotspur aiming to bounce back from a 2-1 defeat to Brighton & Hove Albion last time out, which resulted in boss Pep Guardiola suffering a fourth consecutive loss for the first time in his trophy-laden managerial career.
The former Barcelona and Bayern Munich head coach has agreed a one-year contract extension with the option of an additional 12 months, which is poised to be announced by Manchester City in the coming days, and he has edged closer to being able to restore De Bruyne to his strongest line-up.
De Bruyne Back in Frame for Line-Up Return
Creative midfielder’s condition improved during international break
De Bruyne is coming back into the frame for a starting role ahead of Manchester City’s domestic campaign resuming with the visit of Tottenham this weekend, according to GMS sources, but there are doubts over whether he will be rushed into the line-up due to fears of him suffering a fresh problem after making a full recovery.
The creative midfielder has been limited to just 426 minutes of action in all competitions this season, having been forced to contend with a hamstring issue, and he is desperate to be a pivotal influence as the Sky Blues aim to bounce back to winning ways after falling five points adrift of Premier League table-toppers Liverpool.
Although it is unclear whether De Bruyne will be ready to start the encounter with Tottenham, having come on as a second half substitute against Brighton as he stepped up his recovery from injury earlier this month, GMS sources have been informed that he is on course to be handed a significant amount of game time.
The 33-year-old has made a telling impact since joining the Sky Blues in a then-club record deal worth £55million from Wolfsburg in August 2015, with him being crucial in winning numerous pieces of silverware, and he is on the verge of returning to full fitness thanks to working hard behind the scenes while a host of teammates have been on international duty.
If De Bruyne is forced to contend with coming off the bench for the third fixture on the bounce when Tottenham head to the Etihad Stadium, GMS sources have learned that he will be firmly in contention to be included from the start in a Champions League clash with Feyenoord on November 26.
GIVEMESPORT Key Statistic: Kevin De Bruyne has been averaging 3.2 key passes per Premier League outing this season ✕ Remove Ads
Sky Blues Set to Carefully Manage De Bruyne
Guardiola does not want to risk Belgian having another injury lay-off
GMS sources have been told that Manchester City are determined to manage De Bruyne’s situation carefully as they do not want to be left in danger of him facing another extensive spell on the treatment table thanks to suffering a fresh issue, but there is confidence that he is on the cusp of making a full return to action.
The Belgium international is poised to enter the final six months of his £400,000-per-week contract at the turn of the year, resulting in there being uncertainty over his long-term future, and he has not started a fixture since being forced to come off with an injury against Inter Milan on September 18.
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Kevin De Bruyne ‘Edging Closer to Starting Berth’ at Man City
