June 10, (THEWILL) – Manchester City’s star midfielder Kevin De Bruyne was forced to exit the highly charged UEFA Champions League final against Inter Milan after sustaining an apparent leg injury during the first half of the match.
The Belgian went down clutching his leg within the first 30 minutes of the game, but remarkably managed to continue for another five minutes before being substituted for Phil Foden. This unfortunate incident comes just days after De Bruyne was also replaced in the 76th minute of the FA Cup final against Manchester United.
Interestingly, this is not the first time De Bruyne has suffered an injury setback in a major final. Two years ago, during the UCL final against Chelsea, he had to be taken off due to a facial injury. The collision during the first half resulted in a fractured nose and eye socket for the talented midfielder.
De Bruyne’s absence holds significance for Manchester City, as he has been an instrumental figure in the team’s successful run towards securing a treble this season. The midfielder has contributed a remarkable 28 assists across all competitions. At the time of his departure from the final, the scoreline stood at 0-0, as both teams struggled to create significant goal-scoring opportunities in the opening minutes.
The first half finished goalless with the best chance falling to EPL record-breaking goalscorer Erling Haaland, who could only hit it straight at Inter’s goalkeeper Andre Onana. Inter has kept City at bay so far, but the English side remains the top favourites to lift their first UCL trophy.
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
