Kevin De Bruyne sends "not possible" warning to worry Man City after Belgium release

Kevin De Bruyne is resigned to footballers being given dangerously little time off amid fears the Manchester City midfielder could suffer a burnout.

The Belgium star has only just been given the chance to recharge his batteries ahead of what will be a gruelling 2022/23 season, featuring a World Cup in the winter. De Bruyne has been allowed to skip Tuesday night's Nations League game away to Poland by manager Roberto Martinez.

This will give him roughly three weeks off before Pep Guardiola's squad reconvene for pre-season as the Premier League starts a week earlier than normal owing to the winter World Cup in Qatar. De Bruyne, who last week lost out on the Men's PFA Players' Player of the Year title to Liverpool's Mohamed Salah, played 52 times this season.

He also played 50 games last campaign and 52 the one before that, when there were shorter off-seasons due to Covid-19. The 30-year-old could end up being involved in 80 fixtures next season, should City and Belgium progress in knockout competitions, leading to fears over his welfare.

"I know nothing is going to change," he said before being released by Belgium. "I have played three games at the top of my physical level in the Nations League for Belgium so physically I am fine. But it just doesn't make any sense.

"You are never going to play 79, 80 games. It's not possible. But it's not only playing games, it's the training, it's the travelling, it's everything. Sometimes you go away and travel but you do not play. It's even exhausting."

De Bruyne also believes the Nations League replacing friendlies has made it less likely for head coaches to give fringe players a chance because the games are more important. That not only denies younger players an opportunity