Kevin De Bruyne injury update: Progress and potential return date for Man City star

Chaos at the Etihad, discourse surrounding Arsenal's 'dark art' usage, and Rodri's more significant injury concerns mean Kevin De Bruyne's current absence has barely been noted.

The all-time Premier League great is no stranger to the sidelines, and Manchester City were without their Belgian talisman for a large chunk of their fourth-straight Premier League-winning campaign.

And while De Bruyne has sparkled in spells since making his comeback at the start of 2024, the destructive midfielder has not frequently been at his very best.

His declining influence is perhaps why discussion over his latest injury setback has been kept to a minimum. Nevertheless, he's a player Pep Guardiola and City would rather have on the pitch than watching on, especially with Rodri set for a prolonged absence.

Here's the latest on De Bruyne's injury and when he could return to Guardiola's matchday squad.

What injury has Kevin De Bruyne got?

De Bruyne was forced off at half-time of City's Champions League opener against Inter last Wednesday with an apparent thigh injury.

It's not exactly clear when exactly the midfielder sustained the injury, although he did appear in a bit of discomfort when he raced in behind and had an effort smothered by Yann Sommer towards the end of the first half.

De Bruyne didn't return for the second half, and he's subsequently missed the Cityzens' 2-2 draw with Arsenal and 2-1 victory over Watford in the third round of the Carabao Cup.

When will Kevin De Bruyne return from injury?

Guardiola was quick to play down the severity of De Bruyne's injury in the wake of City's stalemate with Inter before insisting that he doesn't think the midfielder will spend too long on the sidelines.

“I don’t think it will be long. I cannot say how long for. I don’t know for Newcastle, but it won’t be long. [He has] discomfort in his legs," the Spaniard said on Sunday.

De Bruyne was again absent on Tuesday night given the quick turnaround from the weekend's drama, and there are doubts over his status for City's upcoming clash away at Newcastle in the Saturday lunchtime kick-off. The Belgian marked his long-awaited return to action in some style at St. James' Park earlier this year, scoring and assisting off the bench in City's come-from-behind victory over the Magpies.

If De Bruyne does make Guardiola's squad this weekend, a bench appearance does seem most likely.

Will Kevin De Bruyne be available for Fantasy Football?

De Bruyne is not quite the prized Fantasy Football asset he once was, with managers able to pick up the 33-year-old for £9.5m. He's the fourth-most expensive midfielder in the game, and has currently been selected by 7.6% of FPL users (18th-highest among midfielders).

We'd recommend against his current inclusion in your FPL team with De Bruyne likely to make a full return to action when City take on Fulham at the Etihad in Gameweek 7.

If you're one of the 7.6% who has De Bruyne in your team, it's time for you to start looking at alternatives, even if it's just for this week. Phil Foden (£9.3m) is set for a minutes increase either side of the October break, while Luis Diaz (£7.9m) and Bryan Mbeumo (£7.2m) are cheaper but have proven to be more productive assets at the start of the new season.

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