Woyem News 
Pep Guardiola has confirmed that Kevin De Bruyne will be facing a few weeks on the sidelines after being forced off the pitch during Manchester City’s opening-day victory over Burnley. City began their Premier League title defense with a convincing 3-0 win over the newly-promoted Burnley side, with Erling Haaland scoring twice in the first half and Rodri adding a third in the second half.
However, the win was overshadowed by De Bruyne’s injury. Guardiola revealed that the Belgian midfielder had injured the same hamstring that had kept him out at the end of last season. Guardiola stated, “Hamstring again. Same position. It depends on the magnitude of the injury, but he will be out for a few weeks.”
De Bruyne had recovered from a similar problem in time to start in the Champions League final in June, but he could only manage 36 minutes on the pitch before being forced off. Guardiola acknowledged the possibility that De Bruyne may have returned too soon, saying, “Maybe it was my mistake, but when he is injured after 15-20 minutes, it is not something wrong. When it is 65 minutes, it is the fatigue of the muscle.”
Guardiola also addressed a reported altercation with Haaland as the players left the pitch at halftime. He explained that there was a disagreement over Bernardo Silva not passing the ball to Haaland in the final minute of the first half. Guardiola stated, “Erling wanted the ball immediately and Bernardo didn’t give it. We lost it, and we should have finished the half at 0-2 and go to the second half. I understand Erling, but Bernardo made the right decision.”
Meanwhile, Vincent Kompany, the former City captain who is now managing Burnley, acknowledged the progress his team made despite the defeat. Kompany said, “This team has to be the worst it is ever going to be this season, at this moment in time. You want to get a result, but there are other things which create a foundation for the season – tackling, pressing, running at defenders one-on-one.”
Burnley’s hopes of a comeback were dampened by a red card shown to substitute Anass Zaroury in the closing stages. Despite the defeat, Kompany believed that his team had enough to at least get on the scoresheet.
In conclusion, Manchester City’s opening-day victory over Burnley was marred by Kevin De Bruyne’s injury, which will see him sidelined for a few weeks. Guardiola admitted that the midfielder may have returned too soon from his previous injury. Vincent Kompany remained optimistic about Burnley’s prospects despite the defeat, highlighting the progress his team made.
