Pep Guardiola Confirms Kevin De Bruyne’s Place in Manchester City Starting XI as Erling Haaland Out vs Newcastle United

It’s 20 minutes into Manchester City’s first game in the 2023/24 Premier League campaign on August 12. Kevin De Bruyne sustains a hamstring injury and limps off the field, writing himself off for the next five months. Well, it’s now been five months. De Bruyne has undergone surgery, made a highly-anticipated return against Huddersfield in an FA Cup match-up, and now, his Premier League return beckons. Good news, City fans. As Man City heads to St. James Park for its match against Newcastle, Pep Guardiola gave a positive update on the Belgian international.

In a press conference in the build-up to the game on Saturday, Guardiola was asked if the star midfielder was in a position to start the match against Newcastle. He replied, “Yes. When I saw him yesterday, I felt [he was] really good, dynamic. The minutes he played were really, really good—better than the training sessions before the Huddersfield game.” After the 3rd Round match against Huddersfield, where Kevin De Bruyne came off the bench and provided an assist, it looks like he’s ready to return to Premier League action.

The reigning champions are third in the league with 40 points, 5 points adrift of table-toppers Liverpool, but with a game in hand. Considering that, this match will be extremely important for City to help close the gap to Jurgen Klopp’s men. In the certain absence of defender John Stones and goal-scoring machine Erling Haaland due to injuries, Guardiola will likely field his best possible team for the clash with Newcastle, likely to emerge as a tricky opponent as they look to recover from three losses.

However, Kevin De Bruyne’s return will be a big boost for the team. A win from the game will see the Cityzens climb up to second place in the standings, with just a two-point margin separating them and Liverpool. “The important [thing] is now he’s getting better,” added Guardiola about De Bruyne. With the impending Abu Dhabi League, the Spaniard believes the trip to the UAE will “help [De Bruyne] be better for the next games.” 

As the Belgian international will look to get up to speed as soon as possible, Manchester City will hope that’ll be the case even for their main striker, Haaland. But for now, they’re staying patient as he recovers.

WATCH THIS STORY: Soccer Stars Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo Make a Huge Assist for Esports Space

With Kevin De Bruyne back, City is taking no risks with Erling Haaland

The Norwegian star has been absent from Pep Guardiola’s first team for over a month. Erling Haaland suffered an ankle injury during City’s clash against Aston Villa on December 7. While the striker has reportedly recovered from his injury, the team management does not want to take any risk. 

In the build-up to the Newcastle match, Guardiola addressed Haaland’s return. He said, “It’s the bone. It needs time. Hopefully, at the end of this month, he’ll be ready. It was a little bit more than we expected in the beginning.” The team expects the 23-year-old to be back in training in Abu Dhabi, but considering they’re not the table toppers after dropping points in recent games, City will want their Haaland back to 100% without any setbacks. 

Last season, he scored 52 goals in 53 appearances, proving instrumental to Manchester City’s Treble success. Now, they’ll need him in the second half of the season for another title push, and Guardiola knows it. “We need him. Hopefully he can come back and play the last four or five months without a problem,” concluded Guardiola.

With Kevin De Bruyne back, there’s no doubt that the blue side of Manchester will breathe a little easier than it has in recent times. With Erling Haaland expected to return in two weeks or so, do you think Manchester City can seal another Premier League title in the coming months?

Read More: Premier League News: All Injuries and Updates Ahead of FPL Gameweek 21