Manchester City midfielder Kevin De Bruyne has withdrawn from the Belgium squad after not being deemed fit enough for his nation against Iceland – leaving him a doubt for the Citizens’ upcoming clash with Arsenal. Is.
The 29-year-old started the Red Devils’ defeat to England at Wembley in the Nations League on Sunday, but was forced off after 73 minutes and was seen walking off the field. De Bruyne then spent time explaining the problem to Roberto Martinez.
Defeat to England on Sunday meant the Three Lions took their place at the top of the Nations League group, with the world’s top-ranked side dropping to second place.
UPDATE: @DeBruyneKev is back at his club. He was not fit enough to play against Iceland.
— Belgian Red Devils (@BelRedDevils) October 12, 2020
The Belgian national team have now confirmed on their Twitter account that the playmaker has returned to Man City for further tests after missing their Nations League match against Iceland on Wednesday.
The brief update read: “Kevin De Bruyne is back at his club. He was not fit enough to play against Iceland.”
Indeed, after Sunday’s game against England, Belgium boss Martinez played down the severity of the injury, but confirmed that De Bruyne had felt pain during the match. He said, as quoted by the Independent: “I wouldn’t say Kevin is hurt… He said he felt something.
De Bruyne had a long argument with Martinez after coming off the pitch/Pool/Getty Images
“It’s too early to know what he has, but he hasn’t felt 100 percent. [against England]. It was a precautionary change.”
It will be a blow not only for Martinez but also for Pep Guardiola. His Man City side host Arsenal on Saturday, and there will undoubtedly be concerns over KDB’s fitness ahead of the crucial game.
De Bruyne’s lack of fitness could make him a doubt for City’s game against Arsenal/Pool/Getty Images
On top of that, the Sky Blues also kick off their 2020/21 Champions League campaign next Wednesday when they host Porto. News of De Bruyne’s injury comes after Raheem Sterling was initially ruled out of England’s squad due to injury, with the forward being replaced by Chelsea’s Reece James.
It has been a difficult start to the season for Guardiola, both in terms of injuries and results. His side are currently 14th in the Premier League after three games, with just four points to their name.