Belgium's Kevin De Bruyne is hopeful he will be alright for the Euros after suffering multiple fractures in the Champions League final in Porto on Saturday night
Belgium's Kevin De Bruyne is hopeful he will be alright for the Euros after suffering multiple fractures in the Champions League final in Porto on Saturday night
Manchester City playmaker Kevin De Bruyne fractured his nose and a bone around his left eye socket in Saturday’s Champions League loss to Chelsea, the 29-year-old said yesterday.
The Belgium international had to go off on the hour mark with concussion in City’s 1-0 defeat at Porto’s Estadio Do Dragao after an accidental clash with Chelsea defender Antonio Rudiger left him on the ground.
“Hi guys just got back from the hospital. My diagnosis is acute nose bone fracture and left orbital fracture,” De Bruyne, who had well below his normal level of impact on the game, wrote on Twitter.
“I feel okay now. Still disappointed about yesterday obviously but we will be back.”
De Bruyne did not give a timeline for his return to action, with Belgium set to play their opening European Championship fixture against Russia in St Petersburg on June 12.
Rudiger apologised to the Belgian midfielder on Twitter later yesterday, saying: “I’m really sorry for De Bruyne’s injury. Of course this was not intentional from me.
“I’ve already been in touch with Kevin personally and I really wish him a speedy recovery and hope we can see him back on the pitch very soon again.”
Belgium manager Roberto Martinez has branded Rudiger as “reckless” and insisted the Chelsea defender should have been sent-off for his role in an injury which has left his star playmaker battling to save his European Championship.
Martinez blamed the Chelsea man for his role in an injury which could prove costly for one of the pre-tournament favourites. “Rudiger is very, very fortunate. When you look at the replay, there’s no clash of heads,” Martinez said. “He’s properly leaving the shoulder against Kevin. It was excessive force and it was reckless. And it should have been a red card.”
De Bruyne, who will now undergo further medical tests, has 80 caps for Belgium, in which time he has scored 21 goals and helped the team along the way to a third-place finish at the 2018 World Cup.
Belgium are third favourites to win Euro 2020, behind France and England.
Telegraph Media Group Limited [2021]