Pep Guardiola says Kevin De Bruyne is 'close' to making his return for Man City and he could even feature for them during pre-season.
The Belgian playmaker was not involved as City came from behind to defeat sister club Yokohama Marinos in their opening match of pre-season on Sunday, but could feature in their final two friendlies against Bayern Munich and Atletico Madrid.
It was no surprise to see De Bruyne miss out on the match after he didn't take part in the club's open training session on the eve of their first friendly fixture. Read next: City player ratings vs Yokohama Marinos The 32-year-old has yet to return to full training since limping out of the Champions League final last month, later admitting he had been playing with an injured hamstring for two months as he led City to an historic treble.
Speaking after the win over Yokohama on Sunday, Guardiola was asked when we might see his star midfielder back in action. "He feels much, much much better," he said. "I don't know Bayern Munich, I don't know the next game Atletico Madrid, because of course he has to train.