Manchester City midfielder Kevin De Bruyne was forced off at half-time during Wednesday night's Champions League match against Inter Milan after appearing to pick up an injury. The Belgian playmaker received treatment following an uncomfortable moment late in the first half, and despite continuing until the break, he did not emerge for the second half.
It remains unclear whether the substitution was purely precautionary, but if De Bruyne is injured, it would be a major blow for City and manager Pep Guardiola ahead of Sunday's Premier League clash against title rivals Arsenal. The match at the Etihad Stadium was goalless at the time of his withdrawal.
Arsenal will be without captain Martin Odegaard for Sunday's fixture due to a 'significant' ankle injury, as announced before City's match. While that news may have buoyed City, the prospect of facing Mikel Arteta's side without De Bruyne would be a significant setback.
Guardiola insisted before the Inter match that Sunday's game had no influence on his team selection, stating 'zero' when asked. De Bruyne, who struggled with injuries last season, has started the 2024/25 campaign in fine form and was praised by Guardiola earlier this week.
