Kevin De Bruyne Back to Playing: But Should He Start Against PSG?

Manchester City received a huge boost with the return of Kevin De Bruyne to training after making a swift recovery from injury. The Belgian suffered ankle and foot injuries during the semi-final game against Chelsea and had to be replaced early into the second half. The team went on to lose the game thus ending hopes of the much talked about quadruple chase.

Fortunately, the injury was not as bad as previously feared. The influential midfielder returned to training on Friday alongside Sergio Aguero ahead of the crucial games against Tottenham and Paris Saint-German. City faced Spurs in the League Cup final on Sunday and won the trophy for a fourth successive year.

With that in mind, in just two days City play PSG and KDB is ready to go. Pep Guardiola will want to field his best legs on Wednesday as he did Sunday v Spurs.

When it comes to the best players at the Etihad Stadium, there is no looking beyond De Bruyne at the moment. The Belgian is practically the engine room of the team and his absence is usually felt as was the case against Chelsea.

Yet, Guardiola will need to be careful here. As good and influential as the player is, he comes with a catch; he is easily injured when not managed properly. The 29-year-old got injured all by himself against the London side while being closed down by N’golo Kante. The fact that he started back-to-back tough games against Borussia Dortmund and Chelsea in just three days most likely led to the injury.

With tougher games ahead as the team prepares to face Paris Saint-Germain in the semi-finals of the Champions League on Wednesday, the manager will need to make some tough decisions. The match comes up just three days after the League Cup final. Risking his most important asset and aggravating his injury could prove costly.

Bringing in a fresh and fully fit De Bruyne into the encounter on Wednesday can make all the difference for the Blues. So the midfielder should have been left out of the Tottenham game completely.

Alas, since he was featured from the start, I see no reason he can’t go from the start again vs Paris.

De Bruyne is an essential part of Man City’s midfield.