Roberto Martinez’s decision to leave Kevin De Bruyne out of the Belgium squad has handed Manchester City a huge boost in the hectic title run-in. The midfield maestro – who has 88 caps for his national team – has been left at home for Belgium’s upcoming friendlies against the Republic of Ireland and Burkina Faso.
That means De Bruyne has been given a handy two-week break ahead of the crucial run-in. It’s a break that will give Pep Guardiola a huge boost. His City side are still fighting on three fronts, with the opportunity to capture a historic treble still a distinct possibility.
De Bruyne will be key in any success the Blues do achieve, and he’s shown glimpses recently of why the 30-year-old was voted PFA Player of the Year two seasons running – scoring vital goals at vital times. Everybody knows the midfielder loves a goal against Chelsea and so there was no surprise when he picked the ball up around the halfway line, skipped past the challenge of N'Golo Kante and won his side all three points with a deft finish back in January.
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More recently, De Bruyne scored an excellent brace in the Manchester derby to put City’s local rivals to the sword and recover well from defeat to Tottenham Hotspur. City’s hectic April – which includes double-headers with Liverpool and Atletico Madrid – will require players to step up and fire the club towards major silverware. De Bruyne has done that in the past and will be looking to do so again.
Not long ago certain sections of the City fanbase were growing increasingly worried about the Belgian’s performances. His niggling ankle issues following a hefty challenge in a Euro 2020 last-16 tie against Portugal – worsened by his involvement in the quarter-final – continued into the current campaign, but it seems the break over the winter period has served him well.
He’s well and truly back to somewhere near his scintillating best and it will be a daunting prospect for City’s upcoming opponents that he’s had nearly two weeks to rest and recuperate ahead of the run-in. Against Liverpool and Atletico, City will be facing two of the most feared defences in Europe and will need their talisman to be on top of his game to break them down.
After the heartbreaking Champions League final defeat to Chelsea last May, club chairman Khaldoon Al Mubarak sat down with De Bruyne – who was forced off early in the second half with a fractured eye socket – and told him he’ll be the man to bring City back to that stage again. So, with a possible 16 games standing between the Blues and an incredible achievement, a rested De Bruyne may well be fired up now more than ever.
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