Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp joked that the whole country is “shaking” ahead of Kevin De Bruyne’s imminent return from injury for Manchester City.
WHAT HAPPENED?
The Belgian midfielder has been out of action since injuring his hamstring during the opening night of City’s Premier League season against Burnley after just 23 minutes. It was a re-occurrence of an earlier injury which forced De Bruyne to leave the pitch in the Champions League final against Inter, with City going on to win the treble after edging out the Nerazzuri 1-0. However, after intensive efforts to return to full match fitness, De Bruyne is now finally geared up to prove himself decisive for City once again in the second phase of the season.
WHAT KLOPP SAID
Speaking to Sky Sports after Liverpool moved three points clear at the top of the Premier League with a 4-2 win over Newcastle, Klopp joked about De Bruyne’s influence for City before playing down his side’s title aspirations. “It’s all positive. There’s no doubt about that,” he said. “But last week – it feels like a few hours ago – Arsenal were running away with it. If you speak today about it then you will say, ‘That’s it for them’. Tottenham were out. Now they’re back in Kevin De Bruyne is warming up. The whole country is starting to shake.”
THE BIGGER PICTURE
Liverpool’s clinical performance against Newcastle United gives them a five-point lead over reigning champions City, although Pep Guardiola’s troops still have a game in hand. Klopp has his feet firmly planted on the ground with so many games still left to play, as he added: “We wanted to be aggressive before the season when the pre-season started. We wanted to attack. That’s what we still want, but this time with more knowledge about ourselves and more experience. So far, it’s gone okay.”
WHAT NEXT?
De Bruyne travelled to the Middle East for the Club World Cup to step up the intensity of training with his team-mates. He was subsequently named on the bench for City’s home game against Sheffield United and could potentially return on the pitch in their FA Cup third-round tie against Championship side Huddersfield on January 7.