Guardiola Unsure on De Bruyne Fitness for Liverpool Clash

Guardiola Unsure on De Bruyne Fitness for Liverpool Clash

By Admin

Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola says that he does not know whether midfielder Kevin De Bruyne will be fit to face league leaders Liverpool on Thursday in the Premier League. The Citizens trimmed the Reds' advantage at the top of the table to seven points with a restorative 3-1 win at Southampton on Sunday, with David Silva and Sergio Aguero notching efforts either side of a James Ward-Prowse own-goal. De Bruyne made his first league start of the season in the Boxing Day loss at Leicester City following a pair of medial knee ligament injuries but he was absent from Guardiola's matchday squad at St Mary's.

The former Barcelona and Bayern Munich boss told a post-match news conference the Belgium star's latest setback is not as serious as his previous lay-offs, but he admitted that he is unsure if he will be available to take on Jurgen Klopp's side. “I don't know how Kevin De Bruyne is,” the Spaniard said. “I know it's not serious, but I don't know if he can play on Thursday.”

Guardiola conceded it will be "almost impossible" for City to retain their title if they lose to Liverpool, adding: “Of course, I think they'll drop points but not too many.”