Kevin De Bruyne set to miss Arsenal clash after picking up an Injury in UCL

Manchester City have been dealt a huge blow as star midfielder Kevin De Bruyne is reportedly set to miss this weekend’s Premier League clash against Arsenal due to an injury he picked up against Inter Milan in the Champions League.

Man City kickstarted their UCL campaign with a goalless draw against Inter at the Etihad Stadium, but the result was marred by De Bruyne’s injury. The Belgian sustained a knock in the first half, which saw him getting substituted at the half time.

Although the injury will sideline him against the Gunners, reports have ruled out a long-term absence of De Bruyne, which would be good news for the reigning Premier League champions.

A hamstring injury saw the 33-year-old miss the first half of the 2023-24 season, but he has been a regular this term, featuring in 4 league games so far while scoring a goal and providing an assist. De Bruyne was also part of the recently concluded international break, where he featured in Belgium’s two games, scoring a double in the win against Israel.

City manager Pep Guardiola will be assessing his options ahead of the crunch tie against Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal, and, he can tap into a quality bench strength to cope with the absence of De Bruyne. The likes of Mateo Kovacic, Matheus Nunes, and Phil Foden have the ability to fill in De Bruyne’s shoes, and they would be waiting to seize their opportunity.

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City have been off to a perfect start to their title defence, winning all four games and sitting at the top of the league table, two points ahead of Arsenal. Erling Haaland has been at the heart of the Sky Blues’ impressive run, scoring 9 goals, including two hat-tricks.

The mouth-watering tie against the Gunners will be a crucial one if City are to continue their dominance at the top. City picked up a comprehensive win against Brentford in their last league fixture, while the North Londoners also edged out Tottenham Hotspur.

In addition to De Bruyne, Guardiola will be without the service of defender Nathan Ake, who suffered an injury with the Netherlands on national duty.