da bwin： Pep Guardiola has been handed a huge injury boost at Manchester City ahead of the Carabao Cup Final against Tottenham Hotspur, as Kevin De Bruyne is expected to be fit for the game at Wembley.
da dobrowin： The Belgian international was forced off through injury in the FA Cup Semi-Final defeat against Chelsea recently and missed the midweek win over Aston Villa.
However, Pep Guardiola confirmed in his pre-match press conference that the talismanic midfielder is feeling ‘much better’ and that he had trained with the first-team squad ahead of Sunday’s game.
It will undoubtedly be a massive boost for the Spanish manager if De Bruyne is fit to play, as the 29-year-old has been a driving force behind the Citizens’ superb season thus far.
In 24 top-flight appearances, the former Wolfsburg man has contributed five goals and 11 assists, averaging an excellent 7.56/10 rating for his performances.
This comfortably ranks him as City’s best performer in the top-flight this season, whilst his performances in the Champions League have also been exceptional, so it is clear just how important he is in Guardiola’s side.
Spurs’ new manager Ryan Mason will surely be worried that City could dominate the final on Sunday should De Bruyne start, as he clearly has the ability to dictate the game and turn it in City’s favour, whilst his 3.3 shots per game average in the Premier League immediately marks him out as a serious goal threat.
Last season, De Bruyne earned a lot of praise from Premier League legend Thierry Henry, with the Frenchman suggesting that:
“Kevin saw me at Vincent Kompany’s testimonial (at the start of the season) and he said: ‘This year, I’ll get you,’ and I said: ‘You will because you are just incredible’.
“His brain is somewhere else, it’s just ridiculous. I came across him (with Belgium) and worked with him and he’s one of those guys you just have to let play because if you start to understand and comprehend what he’s doing, you’re going to have a headache. He’s on another planet.”
Therefore, if De Bruyne is fit to play then Guardiola should definitely hand him a start, as he could prove to be the game-changer at Wembley.
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