Kevin De Bruyne returned to training with Manchester City on Monday ahead of their FIFA Club World Cup semi-final against Urawa Red Diamonds, having missed four months with a hamstring injury.
Having also been substituted early in City’s UEFA Champions League final win over Inter in June, De Bruyne suffered his latest injury setback during a 3-0 win over Burnley on the opening day of the Premier League season in August.
The Belgian lasted just 23 minutes at Turf Moor before being substituted and subsequently underwent surgery, with boss Pep Guardiola predicting a January return for the 32-year-old.
De Bruyne was a surprise inclusion in City’s squad for their Club World Cup campaign in Saudi Arabia, and he joined his team-mates in training at the King Abdullah Sports City complex on Monday.
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The creative midfielder is unlikely to feature against last season’s AFC Champions League winners on Tuesday, however, and a potential final or third-place play-off on Friday could also come too soon for him.
However, the sight of De Bruyne out on the grass still comes as a major boost for City, who sit fourth in the Premier League table after only winning one of their last six games in the competition.
Good to see ya, 👑 @KEVINDEBRUYNE! 👀 PIC.TWITTER.COM/SXHSJCC3EU
— Manchester City (@ManCity) DECEMBER 18, 2023
There was no sign of Erling Haaland or Jeremy Doku at Monday’s training session, though, with both players likely to sit out Tuesday’s match after suffering injuries earlier this month.
Ahead of Saturday’s 2-2 draw with Crystal Palace, Guardiola expressed hope that Haaland would play some part in City’s Club World Cup campaign as they bid to win the trophy for the first time.
