Man City are hopeful that Kevin De Bruyne will be ready for their important Premier League match against Arsenal on Sunday, according to sources familiar with the situation.
De Bruyne sat out the FA Cup quarterfinal victory over Newcastle United due to a groin injury, which also sidelined him for Belgium’s recent friendlies against Republic of Ireland and England.
However, there’s increasing optimism that the midfielder could be back in contention for the Arsenal game, as he successfully completed a training session with the Under-23s on Tuesday.
Jack Grealish, who was absent from the England squad due to ongoing recovery from a muscle injury, has also been training at the City Football Academy this week.
Medical staff will continue to monitor De Bruyne’s condition, but he is expected to participate in first-team training when it resumes on Thursday. Most of City’s international players are set to return to the club by Friday to prepare for the match against Arsenal.
De Bruyne’s potential return is a welcome development for manager Pep Guardiola, who is concerned about the fitness of Kyle Walker and John Stones.
Walker suffered a hamstring injury during England’s recent defeat to Brazil, while Stones was substituted early in the match against Belgium due to an adductor problem. Although Walker’s injury is not believed to be severe, he faces a race against time to prove his fitness before facing Arsenal.
Meanwhile, sources have informed ESPN that City are displeased with the scheduling of their FA Cup semifinal against Chelsea.
Initially, City anticipated the game to be played on Sunday, April 21, four days after their Champions League quarterfinal second leg against Real Madrid.
However, they have since been informed that the fixture will be held at Wembley on the Saturday, leaving Guardiola and his squad with only three days to recover from the clash with Real Madrid.
Neither Manchester United nor Coventry, the teams in the other semifinal, are involved in European competitions and had initially expected to play on Saturday.
Additionally, City are scheduled to face Brighton at the Amex on April 25 before traveling to Nottingham Forest three days later on April 28.