'I would love': Man City coach Pep Guardiola gives Kevin De Bruyne injury update

Pep Guardiola said that Kevin De Bruyne is 'close' to returning but warned against an imminent return.

Manchester City's chief playmaker suffered a torn hamstring in the Champions League final and while he recovered ahead of schedule to start the new season he broke down after 20 minutes of the opening Premier League game and has not played since. The Belgian travelled out to Saudi Arabia with the squad for the Club World Cup but did not feature in any matches and was not present at Goodison Park on Wednesday night.

City are cautious not to risk another setback for De Bruyne and while Guardiola would love to bring one of his captains back as soon as this week for their final Premier League game of the year at home to Sheffield United, he has to think of the bigger picture. With that in mind, it may not be a surprise if the next two games pass without the 32-year-old returning.

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"Kevin is close but he had fatigue yesterday and we have to be careful. When he was injured for three months, if you don't handle the timings good you can get injured again," said Guardiola.

"The injury was serious so step by step but he's training with us and he is so positive so soon he will be back. I'd love for him to play the next game or Huddersfield but what is important is keeping him fit for a long time, not for one game or another."