Kevin De Bruyne won’t return for Manchester City until the new year, with Pep Guardiola confirming the midfielder’s update this weekend over his recovery.

De Bruyne has not played since limping out of the opening day fixture at Burnley, and his potential return had ranged from mid-December to February. Guardiola said recently that De Bruyne could be back ahead of schedule, raising hopes that he could even be in contention to feature for City at the Club World Cup in December.

However, De Bruyne said this weekend that he expects to be out until the new year at least, with Guardiola confirming that the midfielder will need time on his return after Christmas.

“If he said January, it will be January,” Guardiola said. “I would have loved to have him all season but now he has a tough injury and surgery and he said end of December or New Year so it will be a happy new year for everyone.”

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However, Guardiola said he doesn’t think De Bruyne will have benefitted from his time on the sidelines in a mental sense after a number of intense seasons as City’s talisman.

Guardiola said: “I think he would have preferred to be with us but football is a lot of years already. He is not 21 anymore, time runs and he unfortunately had this injury. He has to recover and make a step back again. Recover well, prepare well and after one week he won’t be perfect but even off the bench he will be a good weapon for us.”