UCL: Pep Guardiola provides injury update on Kevin De Bruyne

Manchester City’s Kevin de Bruyne could be fit for next week’s Champions League semifinal first leg against Paris St Germain as the Belgian midfielder’s foot and ankle injury is not as bad as first feared, said manager Pep Guardiola.

De Bruyne sustained the injury in Saturday’s 1-0 FA Cup semifinal defeat to Chelsea at Wembley and he missed City’s 2-1 Premier League victory at Aston Villa on Wednesday.

Guardiola said it was too soon to make a call on de Bruyne’s availability for Sunday’s League Cup final against Tottenham Hotspur but hoped to have the 29-year-old available for the trip to Paris next Wednesday.

“It was less than we expected and yesterday he felt much better,” Guardiola said after Wednesday’s game. “Today I don’t know because I didn’t speak with him, but we will see tomorrow’s training.

“I think if not for this final … maybe he will be ready for the semifinals of the Champions League.”

Goals from Phil Foden and Rodri cancelled out Villa’s early opener and took City 11 points clear of second-placed Manchester United, who have played a game less. City are now three wins away from a third Premier League title in four years.

The victory came after days of tumult over the proposed breakaway European Super League, with City one of six English clubs who had signed up to it.

The ill-fated proposal, which was announced on Sunday, collapsed amid intense backlash from fans, players and governments, alongside threats of bans and sanctions from the game’s European and world governing bodies Uefa and Fifa.

Pep Guardiola provides injury update on Kevin De Bruyne

Pep Guardiola has revealed that Kevin De Bruyne's ankle injury 'doesn't look good', after the Belgian midfielder was forced to limp off in Manchester City's 1-0https://t.co/MO2sUxyPXP #ManCityfc #theCitizens #ma pic.twitter.com/ArNLisoTuO

— The Noisy Neighbours (@TheNoisyNeighb2) April 21, 2021

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Guardiola said the Super League was now a “closed chapter”.

“As a club we accept, learn and focus on the reason why we’re here,” he said. “It’s a chapter which is over, a closed chapter. They (the owners) don’t need to apologise, I know them, I know how they are.”