KEVIN DE BRUYNE'S hopes of defying the medics and winning his race against time to be fit for the Capital One Cup final have been dashed.
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| Kevin De Bruyne has nine assists in 19 Premier League appearances this term |
The Manchester City striker has been ruled out for around 10 weeks with knee and ankle ligament injuries suffered when he caught his studs in the turf in the semi-final second leg against Everton on Wednesday.
It is a huge blow for City and De Bruyne, who could now miss a vital period of the season, including the Wembley date with Liverpool on February 28, the first leg of the Champions League last-16 tie against Dynamo Kiev, key League games against title rivals Leicester and Tottenham plus the fourth and fifth rounds of the FA Cup.
"I'll work hard on my recovery and hope to be back on the pitch asap. Thank you all for the supportive messages," De Bruyne said on Twitter.
"Just got back from the specialist. I'll be out for around 10 weeks."
His agent Patrick de Koster had earlier said the Belgium international was devastated by the news. "I spoke with him earlier and he's a little bit sad because he's got a tear in the ankle and in the lateral in his knee ligaments.
"For sure he will need six weeks' rehabilitation. But he is going to do more medicals. On Friday morning we will have more news for when he can play again.
"He wants to play football and he will miss important games - the Capital One Cup final and Champions League games. It's something that can happen in football and the only thing to do is work hard and come back."
Immediately after the game De Bruyne, 24, was hopeful he could be back for the final in a month's time while absolving Everton defender Ramiro Funes Mori of any blame for his challenge.
"It's my knee mostly but I sprained my ankle," he said. "It [my foot] got stuck, nobody touched me, it just got stuck and I think I fell the wrong way. I'm happy to be in the final, hopefully I will be there. I'm going to be fit, for sure."
That now looks an impossibility and is a cruel setback for De Bruyne who was City's second-leg hero when he came on as a substitute to score their second goal and make the third for Sergio Aguero.
It took his tally of goals to 12 and assists to 12 and underlined the stunning impact he has made since his £54m move from Wolfsburg last summer.
Meanwhile, Raheem Sterling has admitted City "got lucky" with De Bruyne's second goal - then played down the fact that his former club Liverpool now stand in the way of his first major medal in football.
TV replays showed Sterling had carried the ball over the byline before crossing for De Bruyne to score but he said City deserved their good fortune after several refereeing decisions had gone against them in recent games.
He said: "Was the ball out? That has nothing to do with me. I was just playing my game. We got the luck, a break. But we haven't had it in the last few games. I'm just happy to get the good luck this time because the last few times we haven't. It's taken us to Wembley and that's the most important thing."
Sterling left Liverpool in an acrimonious £49m move last summer and faced hostility from visiting fans during their 4-1 League win at the Etihad stadium in November.
But he insists he will treat his old team-mates as "just another club to get past". And having grown up in the Wembley area, he is more excited at the prospect of playing in a final at the national stadium.
"It's against Liverpool but that's not a big thing for my mind," he said. "Yes, it's my former team, but it's just another team to try to get past. That's what I'm definitely focused on.
"It'll be in my home city and playing in finals is something I've wanted to do since I was a little kid. Nothing is going to stop me from doing that.
"It's a good feeling. That's what I've come to this football club for - to get in as many finals as I can. I'm really happy to get to my first one with City and hopefully we can go on and win it."
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