Pep Guardiola says a fully-fit again Kevin De Bruyne can give his team a huge boost.
Our Belgian playmaker has been only able to play cameos here and there as he struggled to recover from injury and was sidelined for two months before appearing as a sub in the past three games.
Against Spurs, De Bruyne came on for the last 20 minutes or so and played a number of telling passes in the final third.
Guardiola says De Bruyne has been in constant discomfort – until last weekend – and he is now hopeful he can press on with his season.
“Kevin is fighting and training more than ever,” said Guardiola.
“He is not 24, 25, 26 or 27, now he is a certain age. Last season he was five months out.
“The last game – before Spurs – he came to me and he said it’s the first day he didn’t feel anything for months.
“That’s the point, you can be ready for 90 minutes. Only I ask for Kevin and what he is looking for is no pain.
“To play and train in a good way. Kevin is unique and of course he can give us something.”
Guardiola also admitted KDB’s future at City will be down to the player himself.
The boss said De Bruyne would only want to play for City as long as he give the best version of himself.
“Kevin will be honest,” said Guardiola.
“He wants to finish here this season or next one or next one, but he will want to be here at his best.
“He will not want to be here when he believes he cannot be the Kevin that produces and helps the team like he has done in the last decade.
“He will decide the best for the team. I’m pretty sure he doesn’t want to be where he cannot be the best Kevin possible.”
The boss was also asked about his squad’s age and whether could be a factor in our recent run of defeats.
The Catalan says it isn’t. responding: “It depends on the performance. There are players that are more than 30 and that perform incredibly well.
“There are players that are 23 that play not as good. It depends on the performance, that is the reality.
“We are not getting results because of the age of the players, a few months ago we won, and they were the same age.
“It’s not a big difference. At the end of the season I will analyse. Now I cannot analyse. I am here but if I don’t perform well I will not be here.
“Our standards are here and we have to continue being there. Of course we can drop. Tell me one team that would not drop.
“I want to defend what we have done because I know these guys. I never blamed one player since I’ve been here.
“There are a lot of factors. If I could say the reason why is this reason I would take it.
“Now the most important thing is not tactics but to show the desire, win the game and everything will be better.”
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