Manchester City are hopeful that star midfielder Kevin De Bruyne will be fit to face Arsenal in their upcoming Premier League clash on Sunday. De Bruyne missed the recent FA Cup quarterfinal match against Newcastle United due to a groin injury, which also ruled him out of international duty with Belgium.
However, there is growing optimism within the club as De Bruyne successfully completed a training session with the Under-23s on Tuesday. Alongside him, Jack Grealish, who is recovering from a muscle injury, has also been training at the City Football Academy this week.
The medical team will continue to monitor De Bruyne's progress, but he is expected to rejoin first-team training on Thursday. Most of City's international players are set to return to the club by Friday, ahead of the crucial match against Arsenal.
De Bruyne's potential return is a welcome boost for manager Pep Guardiola, who is also concerned about the fitness of Kyle Walker and John Stones. Walker picked up a hamstring injury while playing for England, while Stones suffered an adductor problem during the international break.
Despite Walker's injury not being deemed serious, he faces a race against time to prove his fitness for the Arsenal game. Guardiola will be closely monitoring the situation as he prepares his squad for the upcoming fixtures.
In other news, City have expressed disappointment over the scheduling of their FA Cup semifinal against Chelsea. Originally expecting to play on a Sunday, the club was informed that the match will take place on Saturday at Wembley, just three days after their Champions League quarterfinal second leg against Real Madrid.
This tight turnaround has raised concerns within the City camp, especially considering their subsequent matches against Brighton and Nottingham Forest. The club is now working on managing the fixture congestion and ensuring the players are ready for the challenges ahead.
