LONDON: Pep Guardiola has revealed Kevin De Bruyne will miss Manchester City’s FA Cup quarter-final against Newcastle as the Belgium midfielder battles to return from injury for the final weeks of his side’s treble chase.
De Bruyne has been left out of Belgium’s squad for their forthcoming friendlies against the Republic of Ireland and England because of a groin strain.
Belgium coach Domenico Tedesco claimed De Bruyne has been struggling with the problem for the “last few matches.”
City boss Guardiola said the 32-year-old felt the injury before he was substituted in the second half of last weekend’s 1-1 draw at Liverpool in the Premier League.
De Bruyne had already missed a large chunk of the season after aggravating a hamstring injury in City’s league opener at Burnley in August.
He will be sidelined for Newcastle’s visit to the Etihad Stadium and Guardiola could not confirm if he would be available for the crucial showdown with Premier League leaders Arsenal on March 31.
“He already played in Anfield with some problems. But he is getting better. He is not ready for tomorrow,” Guardiola told reporters on Friday.
“We spoke with the manager of Belgium and he decided. That’s why I’m grateful because he didn’t feel good. Hopefully now he can recover for the last part of the season.
“All the players today in modern football, they are not clean (healthy). Always they have problems. The day after the game he didn’t feel good, so it’s better to take a step back.”
De Bruyne is not Guardiola’s only injury concern as Brazil goalkeeper Ederson will also miss the Newcastle game.
Ederson came off against Liverpool with a muscle injury and Stefan Ortega will deputise against Newcastle.
Guardiola is hopeful Ederson can recover to face Arsenal, who sit one point ahead of third placed City in a gripping title race.
“Ederson is getting better, hopefully he will be ready after the international break,” he said.
If City beat Newcastle this weekend, they will remain in contention to win a second successive Premier League, Champions League and FA Cup treble.
In the Champions League quarter-final draw on Friday, they were once again pitted against Real Madrid after beating the Spanish giants in the semifinals last year and losing at the same stage in 2022.
“It looks likes a little bit of tradition, three years in a row playing the king of the competition, who have won 14 Champions Leagues,” Guardiola said.
“It is what it is. Hopefully we can arrive in a good moment. It’s still a few weeks before the first game in Madrid. We will see.”
On City’s treble hopes, Guardiola added: “I don’t think about that right now. In the last month of the season I will let you know.
“Now is a quarter-final against a top team in the FA Cup. Then we have the international break, we recover and play another final against Arsenal.”
Man City’s treble bid hit by De Bruyne injury blow
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Man City’s treble bid hit by De Bruyne injury blow
- De Bruyne has been left out of Belgium’s squad for their forthcoming friendlies against the Republic of Ireland and England
- City boss Guardiola said the 32-year-old felt the injury before he was substituted in the second half of last weekend’s 1-1 draw at Liverpool
Liverpool rotate squad for game at PSV Eindhoven to rest Salah, Van Dijk and others
- The Reds have already advanced to the round of 16
- manager Arne Slot opted to take a second-string squad to the Netherlands
LIVERPOOL: Liverpool will give some star players including Mohamed Salah and Virgil van Dijk a rest for the Champions League game at PSV Eindhoven on Wednesday.
The Reds have already advanced to the round of 16, so manager Arne Slot opted to take a second-string squad to the Netherlands.
Along with Salah and Van Dijk, the other players who were left in Merseyside were Trent Alexander-Arnold, Alisson Becker, Ibrahima Konate, Ryan Gravenberch, Dominik Szoboszlai, Alexis Mac Allister and Luis Diaz.
Liverpool are in first place and can finish no lower than second in the league phase of the Champions League.
On Tuesday, Slot said with the packed schedule it was a chance for players to “get some freshness back.”
The Premier League leaders play at seventh-place Bournemouth on Saturday.
Ex-Belgium midfielder Nainggolan charged in drug trafficking probe
- The 36-year-old footballer was charged with “participating in a criminal organization” and then conditionally released, his lawyer Mounir Souidi told media
- Antwerp-born Nainggolan came out of retirement last week to join a lower-tier Belgian side
BRUSSELS: Former Belgium midfielder Radja Nainggolan was charged on Monday as part of an investigation into cocaine trafficking on an international scale, a day after he was arrested, the Brussels prosecutor’s office said.
The 36-year-old footballer was charged with “participating in a criminal organization” and then conditionally released, his lawyer Mounir Souidi told media after a hearing in Brussels.
Nainggolan was among 18 suspects arrested following a series of 30 searches carried out on Monday morning in the northern province of Antwerp, as well as in the Brussels area. Ten of them were imprisoned after being brought before a judge.
The majority of those held face charges of “importation, transport and selling of drugs without permission” and with the “participation in organized crime as leaders.”
Nainggolan was released on bail as he was charged with being a “member” of the organization and not a “leader.”
“The investigation concerns alleged facts of importation of cocaine from South America to Europe, via the port of Antwerp, and its redistribution in Belgium,” prosecutors said in a statement on Monday.
In addition to 2.7 kilos (six pounds) of cocaine, police seized around half a million euros ($521,000) in cash and gold coins, a stash of jewelry, and luxury watches including two worth some 360,000 euros each.
They further seized three firearms, two bullet-proof vests and 14 vehicles, prosecutors said.
Antwerp-born Nainggolan came out of retirement last week to join a lower-tier Belgian side — adding a final spell to a long career that saw him play 30 matches and score six goals for the national team.
Having played for Italian teams Cagliari, Inter Milan and Roma, he had been without a club since last summer before signing with Belgian second-tier outfit Lokeren last week.
He marked his debut with a goal at the weekend in Lokeren’s 1-1 home draw to K. Lierse.
He had previously returned from Italy to Belgium in the summer of 2021 to join Royal Antwerp.
A tattooed midfielder known for his off-field antics, he parted ways with Antwerp in early 2023.
A few months earlier he had been suspended for being caught smoking an electronic cigarette on the bench, according to Belgian media.
Neymar thanks Saudi Arabia, Al-Hilal, fans after departing to Santos
- ‘To everyone at Al-Hilal, to the fans, thank you,’ Neymar writes on X
- ‘To Saudi, thank you for giving me and my family a new home and new experiences. I now know the real Saudi and have friends for life’
BEIRUT: Brazilian forward Neymar took the opportunity on Tuesday to thank Saudi Arabia, Al-Hilal, and their fans after concluding his 17-month stint at the Saudi Pro League side.
“To everyone at Al-Hilal, to the fans, thank you,” said Neymar in a social media post on X, after returning to his Brazilian club Santos after originally leaving them in 2013 to join Barcelona.
He wrote: “I gave everything to play and I wish we (had) enjoyed better times on the pitch together.
“To Saudi, thank you for giving me and my family a new home and new experiences. I now know the real Saudi and have friends for life. I always felt your love and passion for the game. I will be following your journey ahead as a club and a country towards 2034.
“Your future will be incredible, special things are happening and I will always support you!”
Marcelo Teixeira, Santos’ president, said on social media channels: “It is the time (to come back), Neymar. It is time for you to come back to your people. To our home, to the club in our hearts.
“Welcome, our boy Ney! A boy of Vila (Belmiro, Santos’ stadium). Come back to be happy again with the white and black shirt. The Santos nation awaits you with open arms.”
The 32-year-old, who has scored 79 international goals for his home country, moved to Paris Saint-Germain from Barcelona for a world-record fee of €222 million in August 2017.
Al-Hilal announced Neymar’s departure on Tuesday on X, saying: “The club expresses its thanks and appreciation to Neymar for what he has provided throughout his career at Al-Hilal, and wish the player success in his career.”
Neymar arrived at the Saudi club in August 2023 after signing from PSG, but only played seven games due to injuries.
Italian sports journalist Fabrizio Romano wrote on X: “Teixeira confirms Neymar Jr’s return to the club. Six-month contract to be formally signed this week, as reported.”
Flick backing Szczesny as Barca’s number one
- “My job is to make the decision on this position,” Flick told a news conference
- “I always look for the (good of) the team, and this is how we act“
BARCELONA: Barcelona coach Hansi Flick said Tuesday he and his staff have chosen Wojciech Szczesny over Inaki Pena as the team’s first choice goalkeeper.
The Catalan giants brought former Polish international Szczesny out of retirement as an emergency signing in October after Marc-Andre ter Stegen suffered a severe knee injury.
Pena has been the club’s number one during the first half of the season but Szczesny was chosen in the previous two matches.
“My job is to make the decision on this position... for me Tek (Szczesny) is an experienced player and he has a good personality, but both of them are great goalkeepers,” Flick told a news conference ahead of the Champions League clash with Atalanta on Wednesday.
“I decided, also with my team, my coaching staff, for Tek... both are very good, and in the past Inaki did a good job, but now I decided like that.
“I always look for the (good of) the team, and this is how we act.”
Barcelona already secured qualification directly to the last 16 of the Champions League with a 5-4 win over Benfica last week, in which Szczesny made two big mistakes which led to goals.
However Barcelona have won each of the five matches in which the former Juventus stopper has featured this season.
Barcelona will be without defender Andreas Christensen, who will miss three weeks with a calf injury, the club said in a statement.
The Danish defender had only just recovered from an Achilles tendon issue and has not played since August.
Atalanta, third in Serie A, are hoping to secure a top eight Champions League finish, with the Italian side currently seventh.
Man City will embrace Brugge ‘challenge’ in must-win Champions League clash: Guardiola
- Guardiola has never failed to reach the Champions League knockout stages in his career as a manager and he said Tuesday he was confident his side would progress
- “It’s not a problem, it’s an opportunity, a challenge, and we will face it“
MANCHESTER: Pep Guardiola says Manchester City will embrace the “challenge” of Wednesday’s must-win Champions League clash against Club Brugge and is confident they will make the knockout stages.
The Premier League champions must beat last season’s Belgian league winners at the Etihad to progress to the play-off stage, involving teams ranked from ninth to 24th in the league phase.
The top eight teams automatically qualify for the round of 16, which takes place in March.
City endured a horrific run of just one win in 13 games in all competitions from October to December, which threatened to completely derail their season.
Guardiola’s men appear to have turned a corner in the Premier League, winning four of their past five games to climb back into the top four.
But lingering problems were exposed last week as Paris Saint-Germain battled back from 2-0 down to inflict a damaging 4-2 defeat on the 2023 European champions.
Guardiola has never failed to reach the Champions League knockout stages in his career as a manager and he said Tuesday he was confident his side would progress.
“It’s not a problem, it’s an opportunity, a challenge, and we will face it,” he told his pre-match press conference.
He added: “I expect a tough opponent. When a team is 20 games unbeaten (the run is 21) it is because they are good. There are no secrets about that.
“They beat Aston Villa, (against) Juventus, Milan they played good. Celtic... they did really well. Different variations in the build-up. We have to read well what we have to do.
“But every team — Manchester City included — has weaknesses. You have to find them and punish them.”
Guardiola appeared frustrated when quizzed on the potential consequences of an early exit from the Champions League.
City are presently 25th in the league table after just two wins in their seven games.
“Of course, I’m not naive enough to know how important it is financially for the club to go through in this competition, but sometimes it happens, sometimes it doesn’t,” he said.
“But, of course, we want to try to go through, especially for sporting reasons.”
The 54-year-old Catalan said he had faith the pressure of the situation would bring out the best in his players.
“I know they want it, I know how focused they are, and I don’t have doubts that we will perform what we have to do to go through, but with football, you never know,” he said.
Norway midfielder Oscar Bobb is in contention to feature against Club Brugge for the first time since August but new signings Omar Marmoush, Vitor Reis and Abdukodir Khusanov are all ineligible.
