De Bruyne injury more complicated than first thought, Guardiola reveals

Asked when De Bruyne would return, Guardiola said: “I would like to tell you, especially I would like to know it, but I don’t know right now. He feels that he can train, but not to go to that level that we need in competition. When you kick the ball or something, he still has pain and he doesn’t feel [right]. Kevin has to feel good to express his huge talent that he has. He’s feeling better, but not the best.”

Guardiola is also without Kyle Walker, Jérémy Doku, Jack Grealish, Oscar Bobb and the newly crowned Ballon d’Or winner Rodri, who is out for the season. “For sure, if these guys don’t come back as quick as possible, we’ll struggle, because we cannot sustain with just 14, 15 players for the season,” the manager said. “We need the players to come back.”

It is anticipated that Guardiola will call upon players from City’s under-21s against Spurs amid a hectic schedule. “We have a problem that we have a lot of injured players and I cannot play like I would imagine,” he said. “I don’t want to put much pressure on the young players to be in this stage against this opponent, for the way they play. That’s why I have to make a mix for the players, for split minutes.”

Guardiola praised the coaching of Rúben Amorim, who is poised to become the latest Manchester United manager. City beat Sporting 5-0 in Lisbon, then drew 0-0 in the return of their Champions League last-16 tie in 2022. “All I can talk about is the experience of playing twice against Rúben’s Sporting Lisbon team and the [performance] was really good,” he said.

“I spoke with Matheus Nunes, and he was his player, and he speaks highly about him. And look this season, he is unbeaten and winning all the games in the Portuguese League and the Champions League, the same points as us.”

Guardiola brushed off the notion that the 39-year-old Amorim is too young. “Why is it a problem? I started at Barcelona, 37 years old, coming into the fourth division. So knowledge is knowledge. If you are able, it doesn’t matter. For that reason, Lamine Yamal could not play football at 17 years old [for Barcelona], right? So what’s important is talent. If you are good, it doesn’t matter the age.”

He also said Erik ten Hag would be welcome to visit City’s training ground should he wish to do so before taking another job after his sacking by United. “Always we are open. But I think he knows exactly what we do. I think it’s not going to happen, but I know his agent a little bit, so the relationship is there.”