Man City is preparing for a huge clash with a struggling Arsenal side this weekend but they will be without a key figure in their attack. Kevin De Bruyne is set to miss another game because he is not “100% fit” due to an ankle injury that he suffered at Euro 2020.

Belgium manager Roberto Martinez gave the disappointing update, with the Spaniard also choosing to leave De Bruyne out of his squad for the upcoming World Cup qualifiers because of the injury. Via The Athletic:

“Kevin is not available. As you know he had some minutes against Tottenham,” said the former Wigan boss.

“But after that Man City game he still felt some pain (in his ankle). He’s taking a different route now. He’s not gonna be playing this weekend. The idea is to see how his injury progresses.”

“Kevin is working really hard behind the scenes to get fully fit and to be ready for a demanding season. At the moment he’s not 100 percent fit.”

De Bruyne came on in the 79th minute of the Tottenham defeat in Man City's Premier League opener but was deemed unavailable in the Norwich match last weekend, where the Citizens ran riot in a convincing 5-0 victory.

There's no shortage of options in the final third for Pep Guardiola but De Bruyne is arguably their most important player thanks to his world-class playmaking. Man City is just being extra cautious with his ankle though because if De Bruyne reaggravates it enough, surgery could be needed and that would ultimately keep him out for months.