Following Belgium's elimination from the World Cup, Manchester City talisman Kevin de Bruyne will be well rested when his team hosts Liverpool in the Carabao Cup before Christmas.
The Red Devils lost to Croatia and surprise table-toppers Morocco in their final group game, with former Everton and Chelsea striker Romelu Lukaku wasting a number of gilt-edged chances. Roberto Martinez confirmed after the result that his contract with Belgium, which expired when his team was eliminated, would not be renewed, effectively resigning from the position.From the start of their group stage campaign, de Bruyne admitted in a shocking interview with the Guardian prior to the tournament that his country had 'no chance' of winning the World Cup because they were 'too old' - the average age of last night's starting lineup was 31 years and 95 days. Compatriot Jan Vertonghen used the same phrase sarcastically to explain why the attack - including de Bruyne - was so ineffective.
While the tournament ended in humiliation for the world's second-ranked team, Pep Guardiola and Man City will be relieved to see their star out early and unscathed.De Bruyne has struggled with niggling injuries in recent seasons, and those around the Etihad will have been concerned about how the 31-year-old would handle playing in a World Cup in the middle of the season.
Those concerns have been allayed, with de Bruyne set to recover for three weeks before his team's Carabao Cup match against Liverpool on December 22. Guardiola has already been able to rest Erling Haaland due to Norway's failure to qualify for the tournament, but the current Premier League champions have suffered the most, with 16 players heading to Qatar.Seven Liverpool players traveled to the Middle East at the end of last month, and all have advanced to the round of 16, or are expected to do so by the end of play tomorrow. With two in England and Brazil, and one in the Netherlands, Uruguay, and France, the chances of at least one Red appearing in the December 18 final are high - they will almost certainly be left out of Klopp's Carabao Cup plans.
CONTINUE READING-MORE NEWS
Reece James gives his answer to the never ending Ronaldo/Messi debate
Chelsea defender Reece James asked fans on Twitter to send him questions for a Q&A this week, and he answered everything from his toughest opponents to his favorite music and food.
James, who is out of the World Cup due to injury, was even asked which side of the Cristiano Ronaldo/Lionel Messi debate he supports.
Who has the upper hand? Ronaldo or Messi? It's a debate that has raged in football for the last 15 years, since both players established themselves as world-class performers. During that time, each has gone on to accomplish incredible things, putting them squarely in the midst of the "greatest of all time" debate.James has chosen Ronaldo over Messi. He didn't give a specific reason, but the answer from the entire Q&A received the most reaction and engagement on social media.
Ronaldo has scored over 700 club goals and well over 800 total goals in his career. Although he has only five Ballon d'Or awards to Messi's seven, his longevity in a career spanning 20 years and nearly 1,150 games has been incredible.James has never played against a team that included Messi, and he has only ever faced an aging Ronaldo, whom he has never directly marked.
When asked about the toughest players he's faced, James specifically mentioned left wingers he's had to mark. He chose Sadio Mane, who he has played against in the Premier League, Vinicius Junior, who he faced in last season's Champions League quarter-final, and Rafael Leao, who he has only played against in the last few months.
James chose his Chelsea debut as his favorite moment for the club, with the questioner excluding the obvious Champions League final win in 2020, and Nando's as his food choice.
blogpay
Total Comments: 0