In the third round of the FA Cup, holders Manchester City beat Huddersfield 5-0. Kevin De Bruyne made an eye-catching return, and Phil Foden scored twice. City cruised past their Championship opponents in a dominating third-round match at the Etihad Stadium on Sunday, with goals from Julian Alvarez and Jeremy Doku plus an own goal.
Despite the home crowd’s best efforts, the 6,000-strong visiting support initially overshadowed their applause upon De Bryune’s arrival on the pitch.
Embed from Getty ImagesTowards the end of the match, the Belgian player was granted a little more than half an hour to play, and he made the most of the opportunity by setting up a goal for Doku, who was also returning from injury.
Embed from Getty ImagesGuardiola said, “Right now, I don’t ask Kevin to play at his best level.”
“We cannot force a player with a long injury in this kind of situation. From my experience as a football player, it happened quite similarly. I was one year with hamstring problems. When you come back, you need time.
“It’s not, ‘OK, play; it’s the best, Kevin’. You have to be relaxed, enjoy the minutes he’s going to play, and try to win the games.
“Kevin, maybe in 20 minutes can help us more right now than 90 minutes. After that, his body will dictate how many more minutes he can get.”
The city manager also praises the impact of Philip Foden and De Byrune. He said
“They are different players, but it’s true that in the final third, in the decisive moments, both are incredible. The impact in goals and passes is a lot.
“Phil is playing unbelievably lately in that position, in the threats, and he feels comfortable.
“In certain games, of course, we can play both together in that position, in the pocket, in the middle, close to the box.
“In certain other games, for stability, maybe not. So we have to see day by day.”
Image Credit | Deposit Photos
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