Kevin de Bruyne: Man City Blow as Midfielder Could Miss Rest of the Season After Injury

• Kevin De Bruyne picked up a hamstring injury during Manchester City's EPL opener against Burnley
• The Belgian lasted just 22 minutes in the tie before he picked up the injury
• He was subsequently replaced by Mateo Kovacic, who joined City this summer from Chelsea

Kevin De Bruyne could reportedly miss the rest of the season after he picked up an injury during Manchester City's season opener against Burnley.

The Belgian playmaker was part of City's starting XI as the reigning champions kicked off their title defence against the newly-promoted side on Friday, August 11, at Turf Moor.

However, De Bruyne could only last 22 minutes of the clash as he had to be subbed off after he suffered a hamstring injury midway through the first half.

According to Metro UK, the Belgium international may have suffered the same injury that he picked up during the Champions League final against Inter Milan last season.

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It has now emerged that City could be without the former Wolfsburg ace for the remainder of the season.

Sportbible, citing Nieuwsblad Sport, reports that De Bruyne may have to undergo surgery on the hamstring injury to guarantee full fitness.

The move would see him ruled out for the rest of the year and recovering only by early 2024.

However, a final decision has not yet been made, but surgery is said to be the best solution.

Pep on De Bruyne injury

The development comes just days after Pep Guardiola admitted that De Bruyne is likely to be sidelined for a while.

Speaking after his side's 3-0 win over Burnley, the City boss said:

"Unfortunately he is injured again. He said to me it’s a problem in the same position as the Champions League," Pep said.

"He recovered well but now we’ve lost him for a time, he will be out for a while. We have to reflect and talk to the doctors and the physios. Now he has to be relaxed, recover and come back. He was feeling really good before," he added.

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De Bruyne gifts teammates

Earlier, Sports Brief reported that Kevin De Bruyne was named Manchester City's new captain after the departure of Ilkay Gundogan, and he is already showing his leadership skills with a special gift to his teammates.

According to reports, the Belgian gave out custom-made iPhones to the 24-man squad that won the treble last season, as well as manager Pep Guardiola and owner Sheikh Mansour. He made the special gesture during a get-together ahead of their season opener against Burnley.