Silva ready to shine for City after De Bruyne injury
Playmaker injured ligaments in his left knee against Fulham
Kevin De Bruyne’s wretched luck with injury has given Bernardo Silva the chance to continue his superb start to the season in today’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 on Friday. “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.