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Rob Dawson, Correspondent
MANCHESTER, England — Kevin De Bruyne has admitted he doesn’t know if this will be his last season at Manchester City and revealed he put contract talks on hold after suffering the injury which has kept him out for the last two months.
De Bruyne’s deal is set to expire at the end of the season. He said he had “a conversation” with the club in the summer, but is now only focused on rediscovering his best form after struggling with an abdominal problem.
The 33-year-old hasn’t started a game for City since Sept. 18, but is in line to return to the XI against Feyenoord on Tuesday.
“I honestly don’t know,” De Bruyne told a news conference on Monday when asked about his future.
“At the start of the season, I knew talks would happen but then the thing [injury] happened against Brentford. It was meant to be a couple of days and then it was eight/nine weeks. I put it all to the side.
“I had a conversation in the summer, but then I had the injury so I wasn’t in the right frame of mind to talk about that. I need to be back on the pitch and be myself again. There’s no rush, I don’t feel uncomfortable, I’m not worried.”
De Bruyne is into his 10th season at City and has been linked with a move to the Saudi Pro League and MLS side San Diego FC.
Pep Guardiola was also set to be out of contract in the summer before signing a two-year extension. And De Bruyne has suggested Guardiola staying could influence his own decision after winning six Premier League titles together.
“It could help,” De Bruyne said. “I know what the future holds, I don’t have to speak to Pep about what is happening in the future, if there would be a new coach, you have to speak.
“Maybe Pep changes his mind and says thank you Kevin it is time to leave, but I know how he works with the team and the players so that is nothing new to me.
“Questions will come but I can only give you the answers I give at this time. Talks will come, if no talks come it will be my last year. I just want to play good football.”
City face Feyenoord at the Etihad Stadium on the back of a five-match losing run in all competitions. League defeats to Bournemouth, Brighton and Tottenham Hotspur have put Liverpool in the title race driving seat.
But Guardiola still believes that, despite mounting questions about his reigning champions, his team can have success this season.
“I think we deserve some patience when we lose games,” Guardiola said. “You are defending a legacy and that is so difficult to handle. I have the feeling that this season we will do very good things. I don’t give up and I have the feeling that we will be there.”