Kevin De Bruyne of Manchester City interacts with manager Pep Guardiola after being substituted during the Premier League match between Manchester City FC and Nottingham Forest
Kevin de Bruyne and Pep Guardiola chat during Manchester City's win over Nottingham Forest
Kevin de Bruyne has debunked any claims that he and Pep Guardiola are not seeing eye to eye after the midfielder produced an eyecatching return to the Manchester City starting line up.
The Belgian started a game for the first time since the Champions League stalemate against Inter Milan in September when he began the midweek contest with Nottingham Forest. And the playmaker scored one and set up another as City returned to winning ways with a 3-0 success.
It ended a barren run for the Blues who had lost six of their previous seven matches and thrown away a three goal lead in the other to draw with Feyenoord. And it gave De Bruyne an extended amount of minutes having been restricted to appearances off the bench in his previous five games.
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That had prompted plenty to question why the Belgian was being eased back so gently and some suggesting there had been a breakdown in the relationship between player and manager. Jamie Carragher was among the pundits to claim exactly that but De Bruyne, speaking after the win over Forest, was quick to pour cold water on such suggestions.
"I know there's a lot been said. I don't know where people get the issue part. There's never been any issues with me and Pep," said De Bruyne.
"He knows I have been struggling with a kind of sports hernia and it is painful and uncomfortable. But I want to be back on the pitch. I know at the beginning of the season I felt really good and that I can still make a difference.
"I am trying to work really hard for the moment to get back with my body and obviously I am getting better but maybe it will be an up and down moment for now. I am improving and that is the only thing I can do, work hard trying to get better to help the team. Hopefully I can get back to where my body isn't in that much pain and I will be fine."