Manchester City playmaker Kevin De Bruyne is reportedly "resigned" to missing out on his side's Champions League tie with Barcelona in a fortnight.
The 25-year-old has been sidelined with a hamstring injury picked up during City's win at Swansea City on September 24 and manager Pep Guardiola was initially optimistic of the Belgian's chances of featuring in the clash at Camp Nou.
According to The Mirror, De Bruyne has "always knew it was a close call for him to recover in time" for the mouthwatering fixture and is now "increasingly resigned" to missing out on Guardiola's return to the side he managed from 2008 to 2012.
City are thought to be unwilling to rush De Bruyne's return to first-team action for fears of him picking up another injury that would see him out for an even longer period.
Without De Bruyne present, the side lost their first game of the Premier League season as they went down 2-0 to title rivals Tottenham Hotspur at White Hart Lane on Sunday.
Neil Wilkes
