Undroppable for England, Sterling down pecking order at City
Raheem Sterling is indispensable for his country but getting increasingly overlooked by his clubSEPTEMBER 27, 2021 • ASSOCIATED PRESS
KEVIN DE BRUYNE #17 - MIDFIELDER - MANCHESTER CITY
2 G •
2 A •
2.4 SPG
2 G
2 A
2.4 SPG
Plays well in 81 minutes De Bruyne took four off target shots, crossed seven times (one accurate) and created three chances during Saturday's match with Chelsea.
Impact De Bruyne was held off the scoresheet but played well despite lacking end product. The midfielder's three chances created were the second highest amount on the team while his seven crosses and four shots were both team-high total as of his substitution in the 81st minute.
SEPTEMBER 25, 2021 • ROTOWIRE
Plays full 90 midweek De Bruyne went the full 90 in Tuesday's 6-1 Cup win against Wycombe Wanderers. According to manager Pep Guardiola, "Knowing he is not in the right condition. Now is the moment for...
Impact Considering Guardiola called this the pre-season for De Bruyne, it's hard to see him starting Saturday's trip to Chelsea. Man City have been fine with Bernardo Silva and others in the midfield, but it's hard to see De Bruyne not at least coming off the bench Saturday. The problem is that that game is followed by trips to PSG and Liverpool.
SEPTEMBER 22, 2021 • ROTOWIRE
League Cup: Man City, Liverpool ease through; Everton out
Manchester City’s players fell behind during a game in the English League Cup for the first time in nearly four years but immediately put that rightSEPTEMBER 21, 2021 • ASSOCIATED PRESS
Man City held 0-0 by Southampton to drop more points in EPL
A near-capacity crowd has failed to inspire Manchester City as the English Premier League champion was held by Southampton to a frustrating 0-0 at Etihad StadiumSEPTEMBER 18, 2021 • ASSOCIATED PRESS
Creates three chances in return De Bruyne created three chances from four crosses during 71 minutes of Wednesday's 6-3 win over RB Leipzig.
Impact De Bruyne made his first start of the season after an ankle issue held him out since the opening round against Tottenham, though he did make the bench in Saturday's win over Leicester City. Now that he's fit enough to start, De Bruyne is high likely to take on a bigger role in the starting lineup, and this will mean reduced chances to play for Ilkay Gundogan and Bernardo Silva, though all have played well and will get their chances to play.
SEPTEMBER 16, 2021 • ROTOWIRE
Grealish nets on CL debut in City's wild 6-3 win vs. Leipzig
Jack Grealish marked his Champions League debut with the pick of the goals in Manchester City’s wild 6-3 win over Leipzig as Christopher Nkunku's hat trick proved to be in vain for...SEPTEMBER 15, 2021 • ASSOCIATED PRESS
MATCHDAY: Star trio ready for PSG; Real Madrid goes to Inter
Paris Saint-Germain’s attacking armada of Lionel Messi, Neymar and Kylian Mbappe could start together for the first time against Club Brugge in the Champions LeagueSEPTEMBER 14, 2021 • ASSOCIATED PRESS
Expected to be option Saturday De Bruyne (ankle) has "trained good the last week" and should be an option Saturday against Leicester City, according to manager Pep Guardiola.
Impact It's a positive update on De Bruyne, but that doesn't mean he'll be back in the starting XI Saturday. He's fought through the injury for a couple months and it doesn't make sense to go through the process again if he starts too soon and re-injures his ankle. Then again, it's hard to project what will happen as he played off the bench without training in the first match of the season.
SEPTEMBER 10, 2021 • ROTOWIRE
Pictured in training Tuesday De Bruyne (ankle) was pictured in training Tuesday ahead of Saturday's trip to Leicester City.
Impact This is a good sign for De Bruyne, but it still appears like he trained on the side for a portion Tuesday. While he could recover completely in the next few days, it's an ankle issue he's dealt with for more than two months, so even if he starts Saturday he's unlikely to go a full 90.
SEPTEMBER 7, 2021 • ROTOWIRE
Expected to train this week De Bruyne (ankle) is expected to train this week and could be an option Saturday against Leicester City, reports Manchester Evening News.
Impact De Bruyne has used the last couple weeks to get back to full health, or at least that's the hope. If he's back in training this week, he should be an option Saturday, but given what happened earlier in the season, nothing is guaranteed from him until he's on the pitch and going full 90s.
SEPTEMBER 6, 2021 • ROTOWIRE
Getting better, still not fit De Bruyne (ankle) is getting better but is still not fit ahead of Saturday's match against Arsenal, according to manager Pep Guardiola.
Impact De Bruyne isn't playing with Belgium over the break, so it wasn't expected for him to be ready Saturday. He'll try and recover completely over the next couple weeks, but that's far from certain given how long he's dealt with the issue. Undoubtedly, photos of him training will come out in the next couple weeks, leading to speculation of him being healthy again.
AUGUST 27, 2021 • ROTOWIRE
Guardiola moves closer to team of midfielders at Man City
Pep Guardiola would be the first to accept he has an obsession with midfieldersAUGUST 26, 2021 • ASSOCIATED PRESS
Expected to remain out De Bruyne (ankle) wasn't called up to the Belgian national team and will not play Saturday against Arsenal, according to Belgium boss Roberto Martinez via City Xtra.
Impact It makes sense for De Bruyne to get an extra couple weeks of rest before returning to the pitch. The hope is that he can get back in full training during the international break and then be an option to start the Sept. 11 contest. Either way, Man City have the bodies to replace him in the XI.
AUGUST 26, 2021 • ROTOWIRE
Not in squad Saturday De Bruyne (ankle) is not in the squad for Saturday's match against Norwich City.
Impact Man City aren't sure what to do with De Bruyne, as he was given minutes off the bench in the opener and now he's left out. He has a nagging ankle injury and it makes more sense to get him at 100 percent before pushing him back into the squad.
AUGUST 21, 2021 • ROTOWIRE
Misses another training session De Bruyne (ankle) did not train Thursday and is a doubt for Saturday's match against Norwich City, according to manager Pep Guardiola.
Impact De Bruyne didn't train before appearing in the opening match and now it looks like he's back to not training. It's clear he should rest before returning fully, but Man City don't seem to be taking that approach. Either way, since he's not training, it's unlikely he moves into the starting XI Saturday.
AUGUST 20, 2021 • ROTOWIRE
Pictured in training De Bruyne (ankle) was pictured in training Wednesday ahead of Saturday's match against Norwich City.
Impact De Bruyne appeared in the opener despite not training leading up to the match, but now it looks like he's training, which means he's edging closer to a full return. Getting a start is still in question Saturday, but he should be able to play more than the 11 minutes he got against Tottenham.
AUGUST 18, 2021 • ROTOWIRE
Plays 11 minutes off bench De Bruyne (ankle) played 11 minutes off the bench in Sunday's 1-0 loss against Tottenham.
Impact De Bruyne was forced into the squad Sunday with Man City down a goal and while he racked up some chances, he couldn't find the final product. After not completing a full training session with the team, it looks like he'll just play through this ankle issue in the early season and hope it can get back to 100 percent by not training.
AUGUST 16, 2021 • ROTOWIRE
Son fills in for absent Kane to give Spurs win over Man City
The prospect for Tottenham of life without Harry Kane might not be so terrifying after allAUGUST 15, 2021 • ASSOCIATED PRESS
Makes bench Sunday De Bruyne (ankle) is on the bench for Sunday's match against Tottenham.
Impact De Bruyne still isn't fully recovered from an ankle injury suffered in the Euros, but he appears to be healthy enough to be an option in Sunday's opener. If Man City are winning, he may not be needed off the bench, but it's at least a good sign that he's in the squad and can play if needed.
AUGUST 15, 2021 • ROTOWIRE
Still not training fully De Bruyne still can't complete a full training session and is unlikely for Sunday's opener against Tottenham, according to manager Pep Guardiola.
Impact As expected, it doesn't seem like De Bruyne will be an option for the opener. He suffered the ankle injury at the Euros and Man City prefer to get him back to full strength before pushing him into the grueling season.
AUGUST 13, 2021 • ROTOWIRE
Leicester tops Man City 1-0 at Wembley in Grealish debut
Kelechi Iheanacho’s late penalty has given Leicester a 1-0 victory over Manchester City in the Community Shield, stealing the spotlight from Jack GrealishAUGUST 7, 2021 • ASSOCIATED PRESS
May miss league opener De Bruyne (ankle) will miss Saturday's Community Shield and could miss the Aug. 15 league opener, according to manager Pep Guardiola. "And Kevin (De Bruyne) is still out as well. I...
Impact Guardiola didn't dive into the information regarding De Bruyne's injury, but he suffered a ligament injury in the Euros and played through it. The team clearly wants to get him 100 percent before returning and that could be in a week or in a month.
AUGUST 7, 2021 • ROTOWIRE
Pricey new signing Grealish gives Man City attacking options
Jack Grealish will pull on a Manchester City shirt for the first time in Saturday’s Community Shield clash against Leicester at Wembley StadiumAUGUST 6, 2021 • ASSOCIATED PRESS
Man City pays record fee to sign Grealish from Aston Villa
Premier League champion Manchester City has broken the British transfer record to sign midfielder Jack Grealish from Aston VillaAUGUST 5, 2021 • ASSOCIATED PRESS
