"We decided that the risk is too high" - National team manager provides worrying fitness update on Manchester City star Kevin De Bruyne
Kevin De Bruyne will not join Belgium for the upcoming friendlies against Ireland and England as he is dealing with a groin injury, national team manager Domenic Tedesco has confirmed.
Addressing the absence of the star midfielder, Tedesco told the media (via Goal.com):
"It is now a problem at the groin that he has been struggling with in the last matches...If he cannot play or train, it is our responsibility to protect him. We decided that the risk is too high."
The Belgium manager said that this was a joint decision between him, Kevin De Bryune and the medical staff, so that the player can have the time to fully recover and get back to shape.
"Yesterday, I spoke to the doctor and Kevin. It is our responsibility to consider the player, but also the player's team. It has to make sense to call up a player," Domenic Tedesco said.
Kevin De Bruyne recently returned to Manchester City's lineup after missing five months with a hamstring injury he suffered early in the season.
Belgium manager wants to have Kevin De Bruyne healthy and available for Euro 2024
Belgium have already qualified for the group stage of Euro 2024, thus they will play a couple of friendly games during the upcoming international break.
Domenic Tedesco said that it didn't make sense to bring Kevin De Bruyne in, as he has his sights set on the bigger picture, which is to have him available and fully healthy for the summer's tournament.
"We better give him time to recover well at City and then have him ready for the Euros. We can't take a risk now, and certainy not with Kevin," Tedesco told reporters, via Goal.com.
It is unclear how much time the star midfielder will miss, but he is expected to sit out Saturday's FA Cup quarter-final against Newcastle United.
However, The Athletic reports that De Bruyne will be ready for the game against Arsenal when the Premier League returns to action on March 31. Just one points separates league-leading Arsenal (64 points) and third-placed Manchester City (63 points) in the standings.
De Bruyne has made 14 appearances for the Cityzens so far this season, registering two goals and 13 assists.