Silva’s chance to shine after De Bruyne injury
MANCHESTER: Kevin De Bruyne’s wretched luck with injury has given Bernardo Silva the chance to continue his superb start to the season in Sunday’s Premier League visit of Southampton to the Etihad.
Playmaker De Bruyne injured ligaments in his left knee during Thursday’s League Cup win against Fulham -- just his second start of the season -- sidelining him for five to six weeks.
And that has all but assured Bernardo Silva’s spot in the City first team for as many as the next seven games as he continues to shine in De Bruyne’s absence.
The Portuguese’s form will soften the blow of having to do without De Bruyne next week’s Manchester derby for coach Pep Guardiola, who said that he will not rush the Belgian back into action when he does recover.
“It’s not about the derby, that’s three points, like Southampton. The Manchester derby will not be a final, it’s another game,” said Guardiola.
“When you come back you cannot expect him to be the player we know he is in one day. He needs time to settle, take the pace, the rhythm, everything.”
De Bruyne initially injured his right knee after the opening game of the season, forcing him out for just over two months and allowing Bernardo to showcase his talents.
It proved a glorious opportunity for the Portuguese, signed from Monaco for £43 million ($56 million) last year and limited to just 15 league starts last season as he struggled to compete for regular football among City’s talented squad.
This season, Bernardo has started all but one league game to date and could almost match last season’s total of 15 starts by the time De Bruyne is ready to return to action at the end of the calendar year.
He has also contributed greatly to City’s unbeaten start to the domestic campaign, scoring three goals and forming a formidable midfield partnership with David Silva and Fernandinho.
However, De Bruyne’s recent return had inevitably sparked speculation over which City player would make room to accommodate the Belgian.
Bernardo appeared the most likely candidate to make way, so De Bruyne’s fresh injury will keep the 24-year-old on the team sheet for at least the next few weeks.
LOFTUS-CHEEK’S FUTURE IN DOUBT
LONDON: Chelsea’s unbeaten start to the season under Maurizio Sarri has surpassed all expectations, but the visit of Crystal Palace on Sunday is a reminder of how again one of the club’s brightest prospects has fallen out of favour.
Ruben Loftus-Cheek made four appearances in England’s run to the World Cup semi-finals on the back of a loan spell at Selhurst Park last season that offered him the competitive Premier League minutes he needed to convince Gareth Southgate he was worth taking to Russia. However, the 22-year-old didn’t make the squad for last month’s Nations League clashes as England took four points from trips to Croatia and Spain.