De Bruyne puts five-week timescale on training return

Manchester City attacker Kevin De Bruyne’s recovery from a serious knee injury remains on track and he hopes to return to training in five weeks.

The Belgium international was forced to watch from the sidelines as City won the League Cup at Wembley on Sunday due to an issue he picked up in the semi-final second leg against Everton.

“It’s a weird feeling to miss a final, but I’m really happy we’ve won,” he told the club’s official website. “It’s my first trophy over here and hopefully not my last. I only missed this game in this campaign. That happens.

“I hope to be back training with the squad in five weeks, after the international break at the end of March.

“Everything’s going according to plan. I’ve already been working cautiously for four weeks now: doing some squats, training my muscles. Now the brace is off, the real work is about to begin.”

“I’m not focusing on a particular date or a particular game.

“It’s been a long time ago, since I’ve been seriously injured [2011, when he played for Genk], so we’ll see how it goes.

“We still have two leagues to go for. I really can’t complain.”

De Bruyne’s girlfriend is also due to give birth to son and the 24-year-old revealed he “had a driver on stand-by” during the victory over Liverpool on Sunday.