5 Manchester City players who must step up in the absence of Kevin de Bruyne

Many expected Manchester City to run away with the Premier League again this season, after strolling to the title last season with apparent ease. However, just a week into the new season, they have suffered a huge blow that could be a huge dent in their title bid.

Last season, Kevin de Bruyne was one of the stars of the Premier League. The Belgian was imperious in the centre of midfield, and scored some memorable goals, as well as providing some sensational assists.

He scored eight goals in the Premier League last season, and also provided an impressive 16 assists. He would also go on to play a huge role for Belgium at the World Cup, helping his side finish in third place.

On Tuesday, reports were rife that he could miss around three months with a serious knee injury that he sustained in training. This could be a massive blow for City, as de Bruyne was crucial for them last season, and without his contribution, it may have been a much tougher test for them to win the title.

If he is out for three months, de Bruyne may be fit to return before Christmas, but there is an awful lot of football to be played between now and then. Given the importance of the Belgian to this City team, his teammates will need to step up in his absence, and here are five men who are capable of doing just that.

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#1 Riyad Mahrez

Mahrez made a £60 million move to City earlier this summer

There were doubts about Mahrez’s place in the Manchester City team when he made the move over from Leicester City this summer. The Algerian has proved that he is an excellent player, and capable of doing a job at any club in the Premier League. However, he was moving to a team who already had an embarrassment of riches in attacking areas, and it seemed likely that he would spend most of his time on the bench, or in a squad rotation role.

De Bruyne’s injury leaves a spot open in that Manchester City line up, and this is Mahrez’s chance to take it. This is the opportunity for him to prove that he can do the business at a world class side, and show that City made the right decision to break their club record transfer fee to bring Mahrez to the club. There will be a lot of pressure on him to succeed, but that’s what comes with playing for a big club.

#2 David Silva

Silva is one of City's greatest players

We haven’t seen many Premier League players more gifted than David Silva over the past 20 years. The Spaniard really is a genius on the ball, and he is a joy to watch in the midfield. He missed a number of games last season due to his newborn son’s illness, but thankfully, he is now well, meaning that Silva should be available more regularly this season.

Silva is now entering his ninth season in the Premier League, and his talents are as good as ever. He is more than capable of stepping up in the absence of de Bruyne. He is an excellent passer of the ball, and can read the game as well as anyone. His next Premier League appearance will be his 250th, so he is more than familiar with English football, and will be able to deal with the pressure on him, even with de Bruyne injured.

#3 Bernardo Silva

Bernardo started just 15 Premier League games last season

Manchester City paid Monaco £43 million for the services of Bernardo last summer, and we probably didn’t see the best of him last season. He probably suffered as a result of the quality of the other players in the squad, rather than his own shortcomings. In the end, he started just 15 Premier League games, but made 20 appearances from the bench.

There is no doubt he is a fabulous player though and will be hoping to take this opportunity to prove that he is capable of performing in the Premier League on a consistent basis. He has a very similar playing style to de Bruyne, so is probably the natural like-for-like replacement for the Belgian. He showed with his performance on the opening day against Arsenal how good he really is, and he will be expecting the chance to do so again in the coming months.

#4 Raheem Sterling

Sterling scored 18 league goals last season

Although Sterling is already a key part of this Manchester City side from the wing, he will need to do better now de Bruyne is unavailable. Pep Guardiola has done an excellent job of improving Sterling, and that was shown in the figures last year. He scored 18 Premier League goals, a career best, as well as providing 11 assists, also the most Sterling has managed in a single season.

There is still room for improvement for the Englishman though. He is still only 23, so is a few years from hitting his peak. Despite having his best season last time out, he still missed a number of excellent chances, and he could easily have got himself 25-30 goals last season. He missed 12 ‘big chances’ last season according to statistics and had a shooting accuracy of just 40%. City will miss out on the goals and assists of de Bruyne in the next few months, and Sterling must play his part in making up for that.

#5 Phil Foden

Foden is already a World Cup winner with England's U-17

There are very few young players in the Premier League with as much potential as Foden. The 18-year-old played just five league games last season, but Pep Guardiola appears keen to use him more this season, and he may get an even greater chance given de Bruyne’s injury. It is unlikely that he will be a regular starter in the near future, but he certainly has a big role to play in and around the squad.

He may only be a teenager, but he already has an impressive CV. He finished last season with a Premier League and EFL Cup winners medal and started in the Community Shield win over Chelsea at the start of the month. He also captained England to the U-17 World Cup title in 2017, where won the Golden Ball for best player. He will hope to build on that with Manchester City in the coming years, and that may start with getting an increased amount of playing time in the coming months.