‘I can see a wave of injuries coming for a lot of players’: Manchester City star Kevin De Bruyne reveals fears for stars amid gruelling football calendar following coronavirus pandemic
- The Covid-19 pandemic has created an intense 2020-21 football schedule
- Clubs had much shorter breaks from the end of last season to the new campaign
- Manchester City will play nearly every three or four days until end of 2020
- Kevin De Bruyne fears this could spark a lot of players going down with injuries
Manchester City star Kevin De Bruyne fears there could be a ‘wave of injuries’ for a lot of players this season.
The coronavirus pandemic has created a grueling football calendar with Manchester City facing a game near every three or four days outside of the international breaks.
City have already been without strikers Sergio Aguero and Gabriel Jesus due to injuries, and De Bruyne fears the jam-packed schedule could hit a lot of players in the Premier League.
Kevin De Bruyne has fears over football’s tight schedule which has been sparked by Covid-19
The Belgian international says it would be two years without a rest by the end of this season
He told Sky Sports: ‘I’ve played flat out for two years – but nobody listens to the players. It worries me sometimes.
‘Especially when I look at my own situation. I have had eight or nine days off. I couldn’t go on holiday because my wife was pregnant.
‘I haven’t had a holiday. If I keep going until the end of the season, I will have been playing for two years without a rest.
‘Your body is screaming out for a rest but nobody listens to the players. Everyone says: “they earn good money, they’ve just got to manage”. And that’s it, I can put up with those comments.
‘I can see a wave of injuries coming for a lot of players, trust me. I always give 100%, I can’t play at 80%.’
As well as club football, the international breaks have an even more jam-packed schedule as well.
De Bruyne is likely to feature for Belgium during their Nations League game against England
He is currently away with Belgium who have three games in seven days – though De Bruyne did not play during a 1-1 draw with Ivory Coast.
The creative midfielder is likely to star during his country’s game against England on Sunday, before they face Iceland on Wednesday.
The 29-year-old has played six games so far this season, including those with the national team under Roberto Martinez.