Pep Guardiola has warned Kevin De Bruyne that he faces a fight to win back a regular place in the Manchester City side after a campaign marred by injuries and a coronavirus infection.
The Belgium midfielder returned to action as a substitute against Watford on Saturday but has been told he will start Tuesday’s Champions League match in Leipzig, City’s final fixture in Group A.
The 30-year-old suffered ankle ligament damage at Euro 2020 that prevented him from starting a Premier League game until late September but was just starting to find his form when he tested positive for Covid-19.
“Kevin, at the moment he got coronavirus, was growing in his physical condition and it was a setback,” Guardiola said on Monday.
“But that is normal because people who have suffered coronavirus, in the next days, feel so empty.