Man City midfielder Kevin De Bruyne ‘not at 100 percent’, admits Belgium coach Roberto Martinez

De Bruyne captained his national side in their Nations League defeat by England on Sunday before being substituted on 73 minutes

Alex Pattle
Monday 12 October 2020 16:53 BST
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(POOL/AFP via Getty Images)

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Belgium coach Roberto Martinez has admitted that there are concerns around Kevin De Bruyne’s fitness ahead of the national team’s fixture against Iceland on Wednesday.

Manchester City midfielder De Bruyne captained Belgium in their 2-1 Nations League defeat by England on Sunday before being substituted on 73 minutes.

Martinez’s side are set to travel to Iceland as the competition continues this week, but it is unclear whether De Bruyne will feature.

“I would not say that Kevin is injured… He said he felt something,” Martinez said.

“It is too early to know what he has, but he did not feel 100 percent [against England].

“It was rather a precautionary change.”

Man City fans and the club’s coach Pep Guardiola will hope that – whether or not he appears against Iceland – De Bruyne will be able to take to the pitch on Saturday, when City host Arsenal in the Premier League.

The last time the two teams faced off was in the FA Cup semi-finals in July, with the Gunners emerging 2-0 victors and going on to win the tournament two weeks later.

The clubs are also due to meet at the Emirates Stadium in the Carabao Cup quarter-finals in December.

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