Kevin De Bruyne and Man City suffer injury scare ahead of huge Premier League clash vs Arsenal

Kevin De Bruyne's night ended prematurely on Wednesday during the clash with Inter Milan, leaving Manchester City's fans holding their breath.

The influential midfielder needed treatment towards the tail end of the first half, evidently in discomfort, and although he soldiered on until halftime, he didn't return to the pitch after the break. It's yet uncertain if his substitution was merely a safety measure or something more serious.

Should De Bruyne be sidelined, it would spell trouble for Pep Guardiola's side, particularly with a crunch game against Arsenal looming this Sunday. The stalemate persisted as De Bruyne departed the action, with the match unfolding as a balanced contest reminiscent of the 2023 final one that City conquered.

• 'I cost Liverpool $46m - now I am in fourth tier after club went bankrupt over failed FSG deal'
• Italian media's brutal verdict after Liverpool as Zlatan Ibrahimovic slammed amid 'embarrassing gap'

To add to the pre-game drama, Arsenal confirmed they'll be without their skipper Martin Odegaard due to a "significant" ankle injury, a revelation that might have given the City camp some encouragement.

However, the idea of facing a high-flying Arsenal without De Bruyne could significantly dampen City spirits. Guardiola, keenly aware of the importance of the upcoming fixture against Arsenal, downplayed its impact on his selections for the Inter Milan game, stating when queried: "Zero."

Last season saw De Bruyne grappling with injuries, yet he's kicked off the 2024/25 season in sterling shape, drawing ample praise from Guardiola before meeting Inter.

Pep Guardiola concurred with the sentiment that Kevin De Bruyne is in top form, echoing similar praise for Erling Haaland: "Yeah, I agree. But it's the same as Erling [Haaland] in all the comments after the game. I said the season starts now and of course, there are a lot of games, started really well, come back good, especially in the Premier League games and the competitions that we had."

Liverpool.com says: Much like Martin Odegaard for Arsenal, De Bruyne is Manchester City's talisman. While City persevering without De Bruyne is nothing new, if the Belgian is injured it will still be a kick in the nuts. That said, it may still be too early to tell.