Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola announced that Kevin De Bruyne would be dropped to the substitutes’ bench due to feeling unwell. Guardiola revealed that De Bruyne started vomiting and didn’t feel ready to play, leading to the decision. Despite being named on the bench, De Bruyne did not participate in the team’s warm-up on the pitch, impacting Guardiola’s lineup as he made four changes from the previous match. De Bruyne’s absence was a significant loss for the team, given his recent exceptional performance, scoring two goals against Palace and reaching 100 goals for the club.

Guardiola praised De Bruyne’s consistency and contribution to the team, acknowledging him as one of the best players in the history of Manchester City. De Bruyne, in turn, emphasized that he doesn’t take his place in the team for granted and recognizes the competition for playing time, especially praising Phil Foden’s performance. Joining a new WhatsApp community offers the opportunity to receive daily Mirror Football content and special offers, promotions, and advertisements from the community and its partners. If preferred, individuals can easily opt out of the community at any time and review the Privacy Notice for more information.