Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has issued an update on the fitness of Kevin De Bruyne.
The midfielder has been near-unplayable in recent weeks, racking up 11 direct goal contributions in his last eight matches.
Unsurprisingly, De Bruyne’s return to form has coincided with City’s best spell of the season, as Guardiola’s side boast 13 wins from their most recent 14 outings.
De Bruyne was absent from Sunday’s 2-1 win over Fulham as City leapfrogged Arsenal to move top of the Premier League table.
The Belgian’s involvement in Man City’s clash against West Ham United at the Etihad Stadium currently hangs in the balance.
“Kevin has started to move but did not train with the team,” Guardiola said in his pre-match press conference.
“We have training in a few hours, and we will see.”
As City potentially prepare to cope with the absence of De Bruyne, Guardiola confirmed that Nathan Ake is fit to return to action.
Ake had missed the last three games due to a hamstring problem, which he picked up in the final quarter of his side’s 1-1 draw against Bayern Munich a fortnight ago.
“Nathan yesterday trained with us – he feels good,” the City boss added.
“Yeah, Ake will be available – training at four o’clock.”
Aiming to pick up a ninth straight league win, Man City will be keen to have De Bruyne back in action as they bid to take one step closer towards securing a fifth Premier League title in six years.
The Cityzens have also made it through to the final of the FA Cup, while Champions League glory remains on the horizon.
However, City will first need to see off the threat of Real Madrid as the teams face off in the penultimate stage of Europe’s premier club competition.
