Jurgen Klopp makes Kevin De Bruyne joke as he gives verdict on Liverpool title chances vs Man City

Jurgen Klopp joked 'the whole country is starting to shake' as Manchester City midfielder Kevin De Bruyne nears a return from injury.

De Bruyne hasn't featured for the champions since the opening day win over Burnley. The Belgian suffered a recurrence of a hamstring injury at Turf Moor and has been sidelined ever since.

City fans were delighted to see De Bruyne named on the bench for Saturday's comfortable victory over Sheffield United, though Pep Guardiola admitted before the game he wasn't intending on handing the midfielder his second appearance of the season. The City boss claimed De Bruyne wasn't quite ready for a return and that he had only named him in the squad so he could be part of the pre-match routine.

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De Bruyne edging closer to full fitness is a huge boost for City as they aim to become the first team in Premier League history to win four consecutive titles, and Klopp joked the rest of the league were terrified about the prospect of him being back in action.

Speaking ahead of Liverpool's 4-2 win over Newcastle, Klopp assessed his team's title chances, telling Sky Sports: “It’s all positive. There’s no doubt about that.

“But last week - it feels like a few hours ago - Arsenal were running away with it. If you speak today about it then you will say, ‘That’s it for them’. Tottenham were out. Now they’re back in.

“Kevin De Bruyne is warming up. The whole country is starting to shake.”

De Bruyne could make his second appearance of the season against Huddersfield on Sunday. The Blues host the Championship strugglers in the third round of the FA Cup before returning to