Manchester City’s bid to repeat as Premier League champions hit a slight speed bump last week. Star midfielder Kevin De Bruyne was ruled out for two to four months with a knee injury suffered in training. For most clubs, losing a player of his magnitude would deal a substantial blow to their season. For City, it could merely be an opportunity for another one of their talented players to step up. In their first game without their play-maker, City also left Leroy Sane, Raheem Sterling and Riyad Mahrez on the bench to start. They went out and scored three goals in the first half on route to a 6-1 victory. The abundance of skilled attackers Pep Guardiola has at his disposal is borderline obscene.
Now they will continue to push on through the start of the season without their Belgian talisman. Title rivals Liverpool, Tottenham, Manchester United and Chelsea will hope City slip up in the coming weeks. The defending champions will need their immense squad depth to come through now and keep them in good standing while they wait for De Bruyne to return.
Manchester City Will Adjust and Survive Without Kevin De Bruyne
Kevin De Bruyne; What a Player
The Belgian midfielder has been brilliant during his three seasons in Manchester. De Bruyne had eight goals and sixteen assists a season ago. In 99 Premier League appearances for the club, he has 21 goals and 43 assists. His impact on this squad cannot be understated. The 27-year-old is the engine that powers this team’s attack. His vision and passing set him apart from most midfielders in England’s top flight. He was in the running for Player of the Year during last season’s championship campaign, but Liverpool’s Mo Salah edged him out after breaking the league’s goal scoring record.
De Bruyne is fresh off a World Cup semi-final appearance with Belgium, where he had a goal and two assists in six matches. He is now set to be out two to four months with this knee injury. His absence will force adjustments on Man City and Guardiola, but if any team has the depth of talent to handle this, it’s the Citizens.
Talent Laden
This squad is deep enough to field two teams that could challenge for the Premier League title. Despite his importance and individual brilliance, De Bruyne may not be missed as much as a talent like his would be at another club.
Sane and David Silva both had double-digit assists a season ago. Manchester City had four players score ten or more goals as they ran away with the league. They also added to their riches with Mahrez joining the squad. Once a Player of the Year himself with Leicester City, he can help in both creating and finishing chances. His talented left foot can also fill in for De Bruyne on set pieces. The fast aggressive style they play means that it is rarely up to one player to create attacking chances. All of the mid-field and attacking players have a fluidity to their positioning, passing, and interchanging in the lineup.
Likely Replacements
Silva and Fernandihno have been mainstays beside De Bruyne in the Manchester City midfield the last few seasons. Ilkay Gundogan is the best option to directly fill the injured Belgian’s spot in the line-up. He isn’t the same creative force as De Bruyne but is very capable in his own right. The German international will bring more defensive stability to the midfield. His partnership with Fernandinho should solidify the middle of the park. Man City have more than enough attacking options. Having Gundogan as a more defensive minded midfielder should not affect them very much.
If Guardiola does wish for a more creative player in that spot, Bernardo Silva could provide help. The Portuguese Silva is usually deployed as an attacking winger but has shown he can also slide into the midfield role. He had six goals and four assists a season ago and has one goal in three appearances this campaign.
Moving Forward
After a 6-1 thrashing of Huddersfield, they were held to a 1-1 draw at Wolverhampton in the second game without their talisman. The schedule sets up well for Man City; they do not play a team from last season’s top six until October. De Bruyne will miss that month’s games with Liverpool and Tottenham, and will likely be out for November’s Manchester Derby. The hope will be to get him back by December when they have seven league games. Attacking firepower should not be an issue for this club, as they have more than enough talent to survive.
It will be interesting to see if their tactics change. Other than David Silva, Man City does not have anyone close to De Bruyne’s passing ability. They may look to rely more on their speed and one-v-one ability out wide. Sane, Sterling, and Mahrez can all break down defences with their pace and dribbling. This may be the best tactical option while they wait for the elite passing ability of De Bruyne to return to the squad. The injury may adjust how things get done, but Man City is far too talented to fall very far due to just one injury.
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