In the just-concluded 10th round of the English Premier League, Manchester City lost to Bournemouth by a score of 1-2 on the road, and after the match, Pep Guardiola, in a press conference, commented on the team's overall performance as well as the injury situation in detail.
Speaking about the core player De Bruyne, Guardiola revealed: "De Bruyne's form has improved since last Friday, however, he has been out for a whole month and a half. The game against Bournemouth was very tough and I had planned to play him in the last 10-15 minutes of the game, but I had to make sure he was healthy. He was impressive when he came back last year after five months of injury and we desperately need him back. We will make sure we are in the right place at the right time to help him gradually get back to his best."
For captain Walker's comeback, Guardiola expressed surprise and joy: "Walker returned since the end of the European Cup, only involved in four or five training sessions, but his physical condition and fitness is amazing. Yesterday he only trained in the field for six minutes, and today he played the whole game. As our captain, his return is vital for us and I'm confident that he will be able to achieve his goals one step at a time."
Responding to his side's 32-game unbeaten run being broken, Guardiola admitted: "We've won a number of games before and people expect us to win consistently. This is the first loss we have suffered in the Premier League in 2024, but it's November now and we are still performing well. We have to accept the result, learn from it and will continue to improve. I'm in good shape and in good spirits and congratulations to Bournemouth on the win."
