No surprise: De Bruyne could be fit for Arsenal game after all

As Arsenal prepare to face Manchester City in a crucial Premier League showdown, many fans can’t help but feel a sense of déjà vu regarding the fitness of Kevin De Bruyne.

This is not the first time City have suggested that one of their key players would be unavailable, only for them to miraculously recover just in time to face Arsenal.

De Bruyne, who sustained a groin injury during City’s Champions League draw with Inter Milan on Wednesday, was expected to miss the upcoming game. Arsenal fans rightly pointed out that City have made similar claims about De Bruyne’s fitness in the past, only for him to end up playing a pivotal role against them.

As expected, City manager Pep Guardiola hinted that the Belgian midfielder could yet feature against Arsenal, stating, “He feels a little bit better today but we have not yet had training and we will see. He could be involved.”

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta , remains pragmatic about the potential involvement of De Bruyne. Addressing the possibility of facing City without their playmaker, Arteta said, “No, because they have the option if he doesn’t play of Ilkay Gundogan, Bernardo Silva, Phil Foden, Mateo Kovacic.”

Arteta acknowledged City’s wealth of options, pointing out that “they’re all world-class players” and emphasising that teams like City “don’t rely on one individual.”

The timing of the injury news is particularly frustrating for Arsenal, given that their own midfield talisman and captain Martin Odegaard has been officially ruled out due to ankle ligament damage picked up playing for Norway in the pointless Nations League.

Guardiola addressed Odegaard’s absence with respect, saying, “I’m so sorry for him. I always like to play against the toughest squad. Of course he’s an important player, but year by year, Arsenal are getting better.”

However, the contrast between City’s ‘maybe’ for De Bruyne and Arsenal’s confirmed losses is striking, fuelling the sense of unease among Arsenal supporters.

Another contentious issue in the build-up to Sunday’s match is the extra day of rest City have had compared to Arsenal. While City played at home on Wednesday, Arsenal faced a taxing Europa League trip to Italy to play Atalanta on Thursday night.

Addressing this scheduling disparity, Arteta admitted, “We wanted the same as them, we’re not getting it, so we have to adapt.” Despite the frustration, Arteta remains focused on preparing his squad for the task ahead, highlighting the need to “go there and win the game.”

Guardiola, meanwhile, admitted that City do “have an advantage” but then moaned about the past six years when they have also suffered a hectic schedule (like all top sides).

For Arsenal, the City match comes on the back of a demanding week and will be their third consecutive away game after tough matches against Tottenham and Atalanta.

Arsenal’s injury concerns and City’s depth

In addition to Odegaard, Arsenal have a lengthy injury list that includes players such as Mikel Merino, Kieran Tierney, Takehiro Tomiyasu, and possibly Oleksandr Zinchenko.

Arteta has openly admitted that the schedule has been challenging from a coaching perspective, noting, “We’ve been preparing for this since pre-season. Obviously, we knew the schedule and we knew that it’s extremely rare to play in these conditions with three massive away games in six days.”

While City also have their own injury concerns, with Nathan Ake and Oscar Bobb ruled out, the depth of Guardiola’s squad means they are well-equipped to manage these setbacks.

Arsenal, meanwhile, are showing that they might have finally built a squad that can do the same.