De Bruyne intrigue: “There’s clearly something happening behind the scenes in Man City’s dressing room.”

Gary Neville has suggested that there may be underlying issues in Manchester City’s dressing room, pointing to Kevin De Bruyne’s continued absence from the starting lineup as a possible indicator.

The 33-year-old midfielder made a brief appearance as a late substitute during City’s 2-0 loss to Liverpool at Anfield, with Cody Gakpo and Mohamed Salah securing the Reds a commanding 11-point lead over the defending champions. De Bruyne, who has been plagued by hamstring issues in recent seasons, missed 19 games last year and has had his minutes closely managed this season, sitting out five matches due to a recurrence of the injury. The Belgian is also in the final year of his contract with City.

Speaking on the Gary Neville Podcast, the former Manchester United defender expressed surprise at Pep Guardiola’s decision to leave De Bruyne out of a squad already weakened by injuries. Neville remarked:

> “The De Bruyne situation is strange—unusual, even bizarre. Why isn’t the best player in the Premier League over the past decade on the pitch? Injuries are part of it, but he’s a leader with authority, confidence, and brilliance. Something is definitely happening behind the scenes in the dressing room.”

Opinion: Man City Must Extend De Bruyne’s Contract

As City’s all-time assist leader and a pivotal figure in their historic successes, retaining De Bruyne should be a priority despite his recent injury challenges and any internal issues. The Belgian playmaker has delivered more than 15 Premier League assists in four separate seasons and scored 69 league goals, underlining his exceptional creativity and consistency.

Beyond his performances, De Bruyne’s leadership and professionalism are crucial to the team’s cohesion and culture under Guardiola. His presence is even more critical with Ballon d’Or winner Rodri sidelined for the season, and City struggling with a seven-game winless streak. De Bruyne’s ability to dictate play and inspire confidence remains indispensable as City navigates this challe

nging period.