Kevin De Bruyne could miss the start of next season after suffering a suspected grade three hamstring tear in Manchester City’s Champions League final win over Internazionale.
The midfielder, who will have a scan this week and who will miss Belgium’s Euro 2024 qualifiers against Austria and Estonia, admitted he had been at risk of suffering the injury at any point in the last two months.
De Bruyne had scored against Arsenal and Real Madrid as he helped City to their treble before he was hurt in the first half at the Ataturk Stadium.
The 31-year-old could be sidelined for up to three months and revealed: “I’ve been told for two months there’s a possibility I was at risk but you take it. I’ve been struggling since the Bayern Munich game away. So I missed I would say a fair amount of games but it was all small ruptures but today I snapped it all the way so I wasn’t able to go on. Obviously I missed some games but the games like Arsenal, Bayern and Madrid I managed to do it.”
De Bruyne, who was appointed Belgium captain by new manager Dominico Tedesco, was on the brink of a landmark appearance this month.
He added: “I’ll probably take a scan somewhere this week. I’ll be out of the national team 100 percent, I know that, which is a shame because I would have played my 100th game.”
De Bruyne spent some of the second half urging his team against Inter urging City on from the touchline, almost acting as an auxiliary member of Pep Guardiola’s coaching staff.
“I just wanted to help my team in one way or another,” he explained. “I had the injury and I had to come off so I wanted to help my team in any way possible and I did what I needed to do.”
De Bruyne said he had realised an ambition he has long held by winning the Champions League but argued he is not defined by the achievement.
He added: “I’ve basically been fighting all my career with my team to win this medal. I still don’t think it defines my career. I think it helps but I don’t judge myself or my career solely on this game. I know who I am as a football player and person and I am happy and proud of the person I am and I am satisfied with who I am.”
