Midfielder Kevin de Bruyne is back to training after a lengthy period on the sidelines ahead of Manchester City’s Club World Cup fixture this week.
De Bruyne returned to first-team training on Monday night as Pep Guardiola‘s squad flew over to Saudi Arabia where they will Urawa Red Diamonds on Tuesday evening, giving the Blues for the remainder of the season as they head into Christmas.
The Belgian superstar suffered a serious hamstring injury during City’s opening game of the 23/24 Premier League campaign against Burnley back in August and has been out of action ever since. As one of the most prolific playmakers in Europe, let alone England, his absence has obviously been felt.
While it is unclear whether KDB is yet fit enough to make an appearance against the Japanese side, he has now completed his first session back with his teammates.
The 32-year-old’s injury has meant that treble-winners have been without one of their star men all season, which could go some way to explaining their fluctuation in results, at least domestically, over recent weeks and months.
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Having set such high standards for themselves over the past decade, it seems odd to not see them running away with the league already and instead having won just one of their last five in the league.
With that in mind, De Bruyne coming back to training is crucial in reestablishing that dominance and, for many fans, they feel giving him a run out against the Urawa Reds in what will widely be considered a very east game for the City would be a needless risk and, in contrast, a good opportunity for youth players.
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Speaking to The Guardian ahead of his return and potential first minutes back on the grass this week, De Bruyne said his surgery went well and that he is now just “hoping to be back on the pitch soon”, adding: “I want to be the best player in the world. I still have motivation every day.”
In case you need any more idea of just how instrumental Kevin De Bruyne is to what makes the Cityzens tick as well as they do, he racked up a total of 41 goal contributions last season, three-quarters of which came by setting them up.
It was only back in April that he broke the record for becoming the fastest player to reach 100 assists in the Premier League and with lethal striker Erling Haaland also out injured at the minute, City are still missing two of their biggest goal threats. Who knows what the table will look like once they’re both back?
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Manchester City’s Club World Cup fixture against Urawa kicks off at 6pm and will be broadcast live on TNT Sports.
Premier League Darts is returning to Manchester’s AO Arena in 2027
Lydia Mastrolonardo
Premier League Darts is confirmed to be returning to Manchester next year.
Now’s your chance to see the youngest world champion in darts history, AKA Warrington’s very-own Luke ‘The Nuke’ Littler, show us how it’s done, as next year’s BetMGM Premier League Darts lineup has just been announced this week – with various dates confirmed across 17 different cities in the UK and Europe.
And Manchester is one of those cities, as the AO Arena has shared that they are set to host an evening next April, and we couldn’t be more excited about it.
This means that we will be lucky enough to witness the biggest names in world darts all under one roof, including headliners Gian van Veen and Luke Humphries, as well as Littler.
Manchester is the only northern city to get the pleasure of hosting the event next year, as Liverpool is also on the lineup, as is Leeds, Sheffield, and Newcastle, while elsewhere in the UK, the stars will travel to Glasgow, Birmingham, London, and several other major locations.
BetMGM Premier League Darts is to be held on Thursday 8 April at the AO Arena in Manchester, and to avoid being disappointed, fans are advised to register for presale ticket access.
Following a successful season of events in 2026, tickets are expected to be like gold-dust, so don’t say you haven’t been warned.
To access the first wave of tickets, fans must become an active PDCTV Annual Member before 23:59pm on Friday 9 October. Alternatively, general sale is on Thursday 22 October 2026, but make sure not to hang about.
Featured Image – Sandro Halank (via Wikimedia Commons)
Sport
Andy Burnham wants to scrap the ‘unfair’ ban on drinking alcohol in football stands
Emily Sergeant
Andy Burnham has claimed he wants to scrap the ‘unfair’ ban on fans getting to drink alcohol in football stands.
It’s a ban that’s been in place in the top five tiers of men’s football since 1985, when fears over violence and hooliganism were at their height, but now the Prime Minister has raised the question of whether drinking in football stands – or ‘drinking in sight / view of the pitch’, as it’s known formally – is actually unjust, due to the fact that same rules don’t apply to fans of other sports.
“I don’t think it’s fair for football fans to be singled out in that way,” Andy Burnham has declared this week, grabbing headlines in the process.
He continued: “I think that legislation dates to an era where football was very different, and I do believe there is a case to remove that discrimination.
“I’m not going to back away from what’s been a long-held view of mine. I don’t see how it can be fair that some supporters of one sport can be treated differently.”
The Prime Minister’s comments have been met with mixed response.
Andy Burnham wants to scrap the ‘unfair’ ban on drinking alcohol in football stands / Credit: James Kirkup | Julia Nastogadka (via Unsplash)
The Football Supporters’ Association (FSA), for example, has very much welcomed the idea, saying that it ‘totally agrees’ the legislation is ‘outdated’ and ‘deserves to be reviewed’.
Tom Greatrex, chair of the FSA, said in a statement: “The FSA has always argued that it’s unfair to criminalise football fans for having a pint while watching the match – especially since you can sit in the same seat drinking alcohol whilst watching an Oasis gig or rugby league.”
However, on the flip side, the UK Football Policing Unit said it would be ‘incredibly rash’ to change the rules without proper consultation.
“Other sports simply don’t see the violence and criminal behaviour from their supporters that football does, albeit a minority, with alcohol often playing a significant part in violent and disorderly behaviour,” it said in a statement on the matter.
The Prime Minister did state in his initial proposition though that ‘there are different ways it could be done’, hinting that it could be done ‘on a trial basis’ perhaps.
The English Football League (EFL) added that it would be ‘receptive to discussions around reviewing current legislation and permitting alcoholic drinks within view of the pitch’.
No formal details on a review have been confirmed as of yet, so fans are encouraged to stay tuned for updates in due course.
Danny Jones -
19th December 2023 
