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Manchester City midfielder Kevin De Bruyne will miss the side's UEFA Champions League last 16 first-leg encounter with RB Leipzig due to illness. The Belgian's absence is a huge blow to Pep Guardiola's side.
De Bruyne has been in stellar form as per usual, scoring four goals and providing 18 assists in 31 games across competitions. He has three assists in four Champions League matches.
Manchester City are still looking to win Europe's elite club competition for the first time. Their first objective is to get past a tricky Leipzig team. They will have to do so without Kevin De Bruyne.
The Belgian midfielder was not selected in City's 22-man squad for the battle at Red Bull Arena. Guardiola opted to replace him with January signing Maximo Perrone.
The Cityzens' team for the first leg has been announced. Ederson starts in goal, with Kyle Walker, Manuel Akanji, Ruben Dias, and Nathan Ake in defense. Meanwhile, Rodri and Ilkay Gundogan are in midfield, with Bernardo Silva in an advanced midfield role. Riyad Mahrez and Jack Grealish join the prolific Erling Haaland in attack.
However, Manchester City fans will be fearful of how they fare in the absence of Kevin De Bruyne. He has been instrumental in the side's recent success, winning the Premier League four times.
Manchester City's Kevin De Bruyne on his Chelsea exit in 2012
Kevin De Bruyne was never given a chance at Chelsea. He made just nine appearances for the Blues, providing an assist. The Belgian midfielder spent a year in west London before heading to Werder Bremen in 2012 on loan.
It was in the Bundesliga where the Belgian's stock rose. He grew into one of Europe's top midfield talents, and City soon prized him away from Germany for €76 million in 2015. De Bruyne commented on his Chelsea departure when speaking to Sky Sports in 2021. He said:
“I decided to go away because I felt I didn’t have any chances of playing at the time."
The Manchester City man added:
“I didn’t see more opportunities coming so for me, it was the best decision to leave Chelsea and go to a situation where I felt I could start again. Did I expect it to go this way? Obviously not because at that time it was a low point in my career but I never had any doubt in my abilities as a football player."
