Pep Guardiola responds to rumours of Man City fall out with Kevin De Bruyne

A fig of salient pundits, including erstwhile City defender and nine ambassador Micah Richards, person questioned wherefore the Belgium planetary has not been starting games amid the champions' melodramatic slump.

City person not won successful 7 outings successful each competitions - their worst tally since 2008 - with De Bruyne featuring lone arsenic a substitute successful the past 5 of those matches aft recovering from a pelvic injury.

Richards said connected The Rest is Football podcast it appeared "there's immoderate benignant of rift going on" betwixt De Bruyne and Guardiola portion erstwhile England striker Gary Lineker added: "It seems similar all's not well."

Former Liverpool defender Jamie Carragher said helium felt "something isn't right" and chap Sky Sports expert Gary Neville, the ex-Manchester United right-back, described the concern arsenic "unusual, bizarre, strange".

The Spaniard said: "People accidental I've got a occupation with Kevin. Do you deliberation I similar to not play with Kevin? No, I don't privation Kevin to play?

"The feline who has the astir endowment successful the last third, I don't privation it? I person a idiosyncratic occupation with him aft 9 years together?

"He's delivered to maine the biggest occurrence to this club, but he's been 5 months injured (last season) and 2 months injured (this year).

"He's 33 years old. He needs clip to find his best, similar past season, measurement by step. He'll effort to bash it and consciousness better. I'm hopeless to person his best."

De Bruyne has not started since being forced disconnected astatine half-time of City's Champions League clash with Inter Milan connected September 18, having picked up an wounded successful the erstwhile game.

Both the subordinate and manager person spoken since of the symptom helium was successful and the request to easiness backmost into action, but his spell connected the seat has been unexpectedly long.

The resulting speculation has past been exacerbated due to the fact that De Bruyne is successful the last twelvemonth of his declaration but Guardiola maintains thing untoward has occurred.

He said: "I'd emotion to person the Kevin successful his prime, 26 oregon 27. He would emotion it to - but helium is not 26 oregon 27 immoderate more.

"He had injuries successful the past, important and agelong ones. He is simply a feline who needs to beryllium physically acceptable for his abstraction and energy. You deliberation I'm complaining? It's normal, it's nature.

"He's played successful 10 oregon 11 seasons a batch of games and I cognize helium is hopeless to assistance us. He gives glimpses of brilliance that lone helium tin have.

"But, ever I said, helium himself volition not lick our problems, similar Erling (Haaland) won't lick it himself. We onslaught and support together.

"We privation the champion players back. Hopefully measurement by measurement the assurance volition travel backmost and we'll get the champion of each of us."