BRUSSELS : Injured captain Kevin De Bruyne will miss Belgium’s Nations League matches against Italy and France this month and has also asked for more time off from the national team, coach Domenico Tedesco said on Friday as he announced his squad.De Bruyne was injured playing for Manchester City against Inter Milan in the Champions League last month and has missed the English champions’ last four fixtures.
City manager Pep Guardiola had already confirmed that De Bruyne was expected to be out until after the international break next week with a muscular injury.Belgium face Italy in Rome on Thursday and then host France in Brussels on Oct.
14.At a Friday press conference, Tedesco said De Bruyne had also asked to miss November’s final two matches in Nations League Group A2 against Italy and Israel as he seeks to manage the number of games he plays.The 33-year-old De Bruyne had cast doubt over his international future when questioning the fighting mentality and ability of his teammates after a 2-0 defeat by France in Lyon on Sept.
9.But Tedesco said De Bruyne was committed to continue his international career until the 2026 World Cup."I had a long phone conversation with Kevin.