3 days Ago By [email protected] (Neil Moxley)
Kevin De Bruyne says he will find ‘a better rhythm’ in the New Year. Manchester City ’s playmaker is still feeling his way back into Pep Guardiola ’s side after a nine-week lay-off. De Bruyne was struggling with a mystery complaint - understood to be an issue with his pubis - and the 33-year-old is still some way short of his sparkling best.
But he still managed a decisive contribution in the 2-0 victory at Leicester City as Pep Guardiola’s men got back to winning ways. However, it is clear that the issue still needs managing. Asked how he was, physically, the Belgian Interational replied: “It’s all right.
I’m hoping to get better now. We’ve got an easier schedule so I hope with training sessions the next few weeks will get me into a better rhythm. “It’s hard to say how far off I am.
With the injury I had, I came back and played four games in ten days and that was hard. It wasn’t nice. I don’t know what it was.
The pubis? It was a bit of everything. There’s not a lot you can do with it, just wait.” De Bruyne’s run out at the King Power Stadium was the first 90 minutes he has completed since the defeat at Juventus three weeks ago.
Prior to that, the last time he started and finished a game was in mid-September against Brentford. He added: “It’s been really hard. It’s been that kind of season.
The first four weeks were all right but then we came into a rhythm where people were struggling and playing too many games. You have to do it because we didn’t have anyone else. “Hopefully, after the New Year, people will come back and we will get back as a team, that will help.
” De Bruyne had a word or two about youngsters James McAtee and Savinho, both of whom played key roles in the victory at the King Power Stadium. The Brazilian grabbed his first goal for the club after Phil Foden’s shot was parried to him, while home-grown talent McAtee had a hand in the second. De Bruyne added: “He’s got really good quality.
“He’s not played much but today was important for a young player to come in and give us a bit of energy and a little bit of a bright spark. It will do good for him and for us. It will maybe give Pep a bit more confidence to play him.
It can only be a positive. “And Savinho, I thought he started the season really well, then he maybe went down a bit with the team. He created a lot of chances but it’s always important to get that goal.
In the end, it’s a tap-in. It will help him get confidence. He will be all right.
” And one too, about his boss, who has been in the unusual position of losing games, although his 500th ended in triumph in the east Midlands. He said: “Obviously, he has been more down than usual - but I don’t think there was a lot of difference. “You can’t change yourself after having a bad moment.
We have had so many good moments and we know how to win games. At the moment, we haven’t been doing that. That happens, you know.
“You have to accept other people are also good. And they are maybe in a better moment, but that’s it. You have to do your job.
That’s what we are trying to do and hopefully it gets better.” Join our new WhatsApp community and receive your daily dose of Mirror Football content. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners.
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