Man City Playmaker Eyes March Return

Manchester City playmaker Kevin De Bruyne remains hopeful to make his return to training by the end of March, having damaged his knee ligaments last month against Everton in the second leg semi-final of the Capital One Cup.

The 24-year-old is hoping to help his club compete for both the Premier League and Champions League titles. However, the creative midfielder is set to miss the Manchester derby on 20th March, which could prove to be crucial in the race for a top-four spot.

He told the official Manchester City website: “It was difficult. I hate sitting in the stands. I’d rather watch a match at home, because once you’re in a stadium, you always want to be on the pitch.

“It’s a weird feeling to miss a final, but I’m really happy we’ve won. It’s my first trophy over here and hopefully not my last. I only missed this game in this campaign. That happens.

“I hope to be back training with the squad in five weeks, after the international break at the end of March. Everything’s going according to plan. I’ve already been working cautiously for four weeks now: doing some squats, training my muscles. Now the brace is off, the real work is about to begin.”

De Bruyne, who was signed for a club record £54m last summer from VfL Wolfsburg, has scored 12 goals in all competitions this season.