Kevin De Bruyne Uncertain About His Involvement in Club World Cup with Manchester City

Kevin De Bruyne has indicated that he is “probably” unlikely to feature for Manchester City in the Club World Cup, as he aims to prevent any injuries that might hinder his efforts in securing a new club.

After a decade with City, De Bruyne’s contract will end at the conclusion of the current season, but there has been speculation regarding a potential short-term extension that would allow him to compete in the Club World Cup under manager Pep Guardiola.

FIFA has introduced an additional registration period for teams participating in the Club World Cup, providing players in situations like De Bruyne’s the opportunity to compete in the tournament.

City’s first match is set to be against Moroccan outfit Wydad AC in Philadelphia on June 18.

However, given the uncertainty surrounding his future, the 33-year-old midfielder is probably set to miss out.

“It doesn’t make much sense. But that’s the reality when new tournaments are introduced during contract negotiations,” stated De Bruyne.

“I need to look after myself because if I sustain an injury during the Club World Cup, then what? No one will look after me at that point, so there’s a substantial chance I won’t participate, but I’m not certain.”

Since joining City in 2015, De Bruyne has been instrumental in securing six Premier League titles and a Champions League victory.

Yet, what could be his final major outing with the club ended in disappointment, with Crystal Palace defeating City 1-0 in Saturday’s FA Cup final at Wembley.

‘Not the season we hoped for’

The Belgian midfielder is in no rush to decide his next move, though he hasn’t dismissed the possibility of joining another Premier League club and has mentioned that he has already had discussions with a few interested teams.

When asked after the FA Cup final if he would prefer to remain in the English top tier, De Bruyne responded: “I’m not sure. It all depends on who approaches.”

“I have a family and young children, so I need to consider a decision that works for everyone, not just for me. When I was 20 and single, making choices was much simpler, but now it’s more complicated.”

De Bruyne’s performance in the Cup final highlighted the reasons behind Guardiola’s willingness to part ways with a City legend whose career has faced numerous injury challenges over the past two years.

When asked if his next club could also be in the Premier League, he replied: “Perhaps.”

After clinching four consecutive titles prior to this season, City’s current campaign has fallen short of their usual high standards.

Nevertheless, they are still vying for a Champions League spot next season, with a crucial home match against Bournemouth on Tuesday and an away game at Fulham on May 25 potentially allowing them to break back into the top five.

“It’s clear that it hasn’t been the season we wanted. We strive to win every time, but this time around, we didn’t achieve that,” De Bruyne acknowledged.

“You have to take it on the chin, and at times things don’t pan out as you would like, but we’ve given it our all, and now it’s time to move on.”

“When I look at the bigger picture compared to many other players, I’ve won significantly more, so I will always be thankful and appreciative of what we have accomplished as a team and what this club has provided me.”