Kevin De Bruyne reveals when he expects to return from injury
- De Bruyne has featured just twice this season because of a hamstring injury
- Belgian midfielder suffered a similar injury in last campaign's Champions League final
- A "major scan" was performed earlier this month to determine his recovery timeline
By Tom Gott
Kevin De Bruyne has confirmed he hopes to return for Manchester City early in 2024 as he nears the end of his recovery from a hamstring injury.
The Belgian midfielder suffered a nasty hamstring problem in last season's Champions League final and managed just 49 minutes of action at the start of 2023/24 before suffering another injury which ultimately required surgery to correct.
Earlier this month, De Bruyne compared his hamstrings to "wet kitchen towel" as he acknowledged the extent of the damage suffered, but he admitted he would not know a possible return date until after a scan later in the month.
Having now undergone that scan, De Bruyne told Sky Sports F1 while a guest at the season-ending Abu Dhabi Grand Prix that a return in 2024 is on the cards.
"It's going well, getting along," he said of his recovery. "Still got a little way to go, but we'll be there."
Asked for a potential return date, De Bruyne added: "Hopefully something close after the New Year, if everything goes well."
City will finish off their Champions League group stage campaign in December with games against RB Leipzig and Crvena zvezda, while Pep Guardiola's side also have six Premier League fixtures to contest before the end of the calendar year.
Tottenham Hotspur are the next opponents on the domestic schedule, followed by Aston Villa, and De Bruyne clearly will not be fit to face either.
De Bruyne will also miss City's first FIFA Club World Cup campaign, which is due to begin on 19 December with a semi-final clash against either Mexican side Leon or Japan's Urawa Red Diamonds.
Both the final and third-place play-off take place on 22 December in Saudi Arabia, just five days before City are due back in England to face Everton.
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