Pep Guardiola provides worrying Kevin De Bruyne injury update after his early substitution in Manchester City's win over Burnley

Pep Guardiola has reported a troublesome injury to Manchester City star player Kevin de Bruyne, following his premature exit in their recent victory against Burnley. The City manager suspects De Bruyne will be sidelined for "a while," grappling with a repeat hamstring injury that plagued him at the end of the last season.

The issue previously led to a catastrophic breakdown during the Champions League final against Inter, raising concerns over his durability. De Bruyne has struggled for fitness recently, battling through last season's hamstring trouble.

The Belgian seemed to have regained his fitness for the commencement of the current campaign. However, the first Premier League game against Burnley saw him pull up midway through the initial half, resulting in an immediate request for substitution.

The scene at Turf Moor did not indicate a massive issue as City's integral playmaker departed, but Guardiola's post-match confirmation revealed a grievous situation. Although the full scope of the injury remains unspecified, Guardiola hinted at the severity, revealing to BBC MOTD (via ManchesterEveningNews):

"He was injured again, unfortunately. Same place and position as the Champions League and he will be out for a while."

The Manchester City manager revealed that De Bruyne had earlier improved his fitness:

"He's down because he fought a lot. He lost the final of the Champions League after 25 minutes. He felt really good, he felt perfect and I prefer a start, make 40-45 minutes and after but unfortunately it happened."

He continued:

"Maybe it was a mistake [to come back so early] but if it was an injury after 65 [minutes] it would be fatigue of the muscle but after 15 minutes we have to talk to the doctors, relax and be free in your mind. In our second year he was a long time injured so he has to relax because he came back from that position and he will be back now."

The absence of De Bruyne represents a conundrum for Manchester City, especially in terms of tactical adjustments. They will need to adapt to the void left by the 32-year-old playmaker, particularly in the face of an injury that could be long-term.

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Manchester City triumphs at Turf Moor, but Kevin De Bruyne's injury casts shadow

The opening match in Manchester City's Premier League title defense ended in a resounding 3-0 triumph over Burnley at Turf Moor. It marked a bleak reintroduction to the top tier for Burnley, while for City, the dominance displayed in their previous 11 fixtures against the Clarets continued. However, Kevin De Bruyne's troubling injury overshadowed the ease of victory.

From the onset, City demonstrated their might, with last season's Golden Boot winner Erling Haaland quickly finding his footing. His fourth-minute strike, a deftly executed sweep into the bottom corner from Rodri's headed pass, was simple. The Norwegian striker's sublime second goal, a first-time finish ricocheting off the bar, along with Rodri's second-half addition, compounded Burnley's woes.

Yet the game eventually took an aggressive turn, culminating in Anass Zaroury's expulsion via a straight red card after a VAR review. Also, the specter of De Bruyne's early exit, coupled with a potentially long spell on the sidelines, cast an uninvited cloud over Manchester City's stellar display.