“He didn’t say that to me” – Pep Guardiola offers insight into Kevin De Bruyne’s injury situation and Belgium national team future | OneFootball

Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has been quizzed on both Kevin De Bruyne’s future with the Belgium national team, and his ongoing injury situation.

The 33-year-old midfielder has been excluded from Domenico Tedesco’s latest Belgium national team camp for a duo of UEFA Nations League matches scheduled for the middle of October.

De Bruyne first became sidelined due to injury last month during Manchester City’s 0-0 draw in the UEFA Champions League against Inter Milan, replaced at the half-time interval with a suspected groin injury.

Since then, the club’s recently re-appointed vice-captain has not featured in any of their matchday squads including in high-profile matches in the Premier League against the likes of Arsenal and Newcastle United.

Speaking during his pre-match press conference ahead of the upcoming meeting with Fulham this weekend, Pep Guardiola was quizzed on De Bruyne’s absence from the next two Belgium national team camps, as confirmed by Domenico Tedesco on Friday.

“For tomorrow he’s not ready,” Guardiola said. He continued, “How can he go [to Belgium’s national team camp] when he didn’t play one game [for Manchester City since injury]? I never understood that. But, anyway. He cannot play with us, he cannot play with Belgium.”

The double absence from the Red Devils’ squad has subsequently sparked conversation as to whether this is a clear sign that De Bruyne may be contemplating the possibility of retiring from international football as he heads towards 34 years of age.

“He didn’t say to me, I don’t know when he’s going to retire for the national team from Belgium. He didn’t say that, to me,” Guardiola insisted. “I don’t know what’s in the mind of Kevin. But for those games, he’s injured, he’s not available.”

De Bruyne will subsequently make up a four-man list of injured players for the visit of Fulham on Saturday afternoon, with manager Guardiola once again stating that all of Nathan Ake, Rodri, and Oscar Bobb will remain absent alongside the club’s vice-captain.

The likes of Ake and De Bruyne may be fit and available to return for Manchester City in any of their immediate matches upon the conclusion of the next international break, depending on progress made over the next two weeks.

Manchester City will return to top-flight action with a trip to Molineux to take on Wolverhampton Wanderers in the Premier League, before a Carabao Cup fourth round tie at Tottenham Hotspur and a meeting with Sparta Prague awaits in the Champions League.

Oscar Bobb may make strides towards his completed recovery in November too, having been ruled out since prior to the opening game of the new season with a leg bone fracture sustained in training at the City Football Academy.