The playmaker has been troubled by a series of injuries and faces the prospect of a stop-start season for the champions
After the fractured skull and eye socket came the ankle ligament damage. Kevin De Bruyne has spent the summer being hurt, returning from injury and playing through the pain barrier.
His Premier League campaign began as his Euro 2020 ended, with De Bruyne a fitness doubt. He made a swifter-than-expected recovery – another recurring theme – to play for the last 12 minutes in Sunday’s defeat at Tottenham. But he missed training on Friday, leaving Pep Guardiola unsure if his talisman will face Norwich on Saturday. The Etihad Stadium will be packed for the first time since a De Bruyne masterclass against West Ham in February 2020, but he may be a spectator as his stop-start year continues. He is becoming a constant concern.