It says much to the form of Julian Alvarez this season that there is no panic to bring Kevin De Bruyne back too quickly for Manchester City.
De Bruyne's season was cut cruelly short after just 22 minutes of the opening Premier League game against Burnley, the Belgian midfielder suffering a recurrence of a stubborn hamstring issue and requiring surgery.
He is expected to be out until at least the turn of the year but it helps that his creative presence has not been sorely missed.
The 32-year-old played notably higher up the pitch last season, acting more as a No.10 rather than the attacking No.8 he had been before Erling Haaland's arrival.
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