Kevin De Bruyne might not be among the starting eleven on Tuesday when he plays his last game at the Ethad Stadium as a Manchester City player.
Manchester City will square it up with Bournemouth in a crucial Premier League clash on Tuesday in their final home game of the 2024-25 campaign. It will also be De Bruyne’s final appearance at the Etihad Stadium as he is all set to leave the club after 10 years this summer.
City’s clash with Bournemouth is coming up just days after they lost the FA Cup final loss to Crystal Palace. With a maximum three points needed against the cherries, Guardiola has refused to be guided by sentiments, as he clearly mentioned that he will pick the best possible starting lineup, which might not feature their star player.
Pep Guardiola gives instructions to Kevin De Bruyne of Manchester City during a Premier League match. (Photo by Carl Recine/Getty Images)
Speaking to reporters, the Spanish coach said: “What Kevin wants is that we win the game to qualify for the Champions League next season. That is what Kevin wants. It cannot be otherwise. I’m going to decide the best so that we can have the best chance to win the game against Bournemouth.”
Manchester City are currently sixth on the points table and need to secure a win at home and head into the final matchday, while being comfortably placed in the third position.
The citizens are scheduled to take on Fulham on May 25 in their final Premier League game of the season. The match at Craven Cottage is likely to be De Bruyne’s farewell game as he hinted earlier that he is unlikely to travel to the US to play in the Club World Cup.
