'I had a long phone conversation' - Man City get Kevin De Bruyne update as he makes Belgium request

Kevin De Bruyne will miss the October international fixtures as he continues to recover from injury, and he has asked to be left out of the November camp to manage his fitness.

Pep Guardiola had already confirmed that De Bruyne was expected to be out for Manchester City until after the international break next week. He had picked up a knock against Inter Milan last month and has missed the last four fixtures.

Now, he has been left out of the Belgium squad for their Nations League fixtures next week as expected, with head coach Domenico Tedesco revealing De Bruyne has asked to miss the next camp with the long season in mind.

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De Bruyne had cast doubt over his international future in the last camp when questioning the mentality and ability of his teammates, with some clips appearing to show him saying 'I quit' after defeat to France.

But Tedesco has reassured Belgium fans that De Bruyne is committed until the 2026 World Cup - but has taken steps to rest his body over the winter breaks with the knowledge that his season could last until July, before the 2025/26 campaign begins again only a fortnight later. The 2026 World Cup would then prolong that season, meaning De Bruyne could have barely any time off between August 2024 and July 2026.

"I had a long phone conversation with Kevin. He has an injury, but he is very motivated to continue with the Red Devils and to play the World Cup in 2026," Tedesco said. "He has asked to skip this camp and also November, to be able to take care of his body. The schedule has become even