Manchester City midfielder Kevin De Bruyne will not be joining the Belgium squad for their upcoming friendlies against the Republic of Ireland and England due to a groin strain.
The 32-year-old has also been ruled out of City’s FA Cup quarter-final match against Newcastle United on Saturday.
De Bruyne suffered the injury during the 1-1 Premier League draw against Liverpool on Sunday and was substituted off after 69 minutes.
According to Belgium manager Domenico Tedesco, De Bruyne has been struggling with the injury for several matches and they cannot afford to take any risks with him.
“We can’t take a risk now and certainly not with Kevin,” Tedesco said.
“It is better to give him time to recover well at City and then have him ready for the European Championship.”
Tedesco also mentioned that he does not know if the groin strain is related to De Bruyne’s previous hamstring injury, which kept him sidelined for the first five months of the season.
He added that it is their responsibility as a national team to prioritize the player’s health and wellbeing, as well as the interests of his club.
City currently sit in third place in the Premier League table and will face league leaders Arsenal on March 31st following the international break.