Manchester City have another chance to get out of their slump this evening.
City have lost their four previous Premier League matches, leaving them 11 points adrift from Liverpool at the top of the table.
This evening sees City take on Nottingham Forest at the Etihad Stadium as Pep Guardiola’s side aim to finally put an end to their dismal run of form.
Ahead of this big game, a pundit has raised a potential issue that could be on the horizon for one particular figure in the City squad, which could depend on his inclusion in tonight’s starting XI to take on Nuno Espirito Santo’s side.
Pep Guardiola, Manager of Manchester City, gives instructions to Kevin De Bruyne of Manchester City during the Premier League match between Manches...
Photo by Carl Recine/Getty Images
Ally McCoist airs big concern over Kevin De Bruyne ahead of Man City vs Forest
While discussing Kevin De Bruyne’s recent substitute appearances for City, Ally McCoist shared this assessment on talkSPORT about the midfielder’s current situation and what the future could look like for him.
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He said: “If he doesn’t start against Forest I’d be staggered, I would be absolutely staggered because now is the time that [Guardiola] has to get his best team out what he thinks his best team is.
“Now if he doesn’t start against Forest then it’s clear I think there’s a problem, not necessarily in the relationship between the two, [De Bruyne’s fitness] is a deeper issue.
“We’re all aware players play longer, of course they do, but not all of them can go to the same lengths as some.
“I don’t think I’m going over the top, I genuinely think it’s a really important period in terms of De Bruyne’s future at Manchester City, the next two or three weeks.
“I don’t think it’s rocket science right the way we are just now could you see Manchester City offering him a contract? No chance. Why would you offer a contract to somebody who’s not been playing?”
What has Guardiola said about De Bruyne ahead of the Forest game?
Following a muscle injury he picked up against Inter Milan back in September, which took longer to recover from than initially thought, the 33-year-old has appeared as a second-half substitute in City’s five previous matches across all competitions.
In Tuesday’s press conference, Guardiola addressed De Bruyne’s fitness status, saying this when asked if the Belgian could start against Forest.
He said: “He is closer and even, even better. The last few days, he’s even better.”
Regarding his contract, De Bruyne’s current deal is set to expire in the summer, meaning that unless he gets offered an extension, this season could be his final one at the Manchester club.
With Guardiola not saying that the midfielder is 100% fit enough to start, it would be unlikely that his potential inclusion in the starting XI against Forest could decide his long-term future at the club.
However, De Bruyne’s overall fitness should definitely come into the Manchester club’s thinking in terms of whether they offer him a contract extension or not.
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