Kevin De Bruyne had to be substituted just 35 minutes into the Champions League final, with the Manchester City star seemingly suffering a hamstring injury. The midfielder went down a few minutes before going off the pitch and tried to play on through injury but was clearly struggling. Phil Foden was stripped and ready to come on as the Belgian tried to make it through the issue, but De Bruyne signalled that he couldn’t continue after over-hitting a cross. Clearly devastated but trying to keep his emotions in check, the 31-year-old took his place on the bench as the England international replaced him. It is the second time that the brilliant Belgian has been forced out of a Champions League final after he was taken off during the defeat to Chelsea in 2021 due to a head injury suffered from a foul from Antonio Rudiger.
The injury on Saturday night in Istanbul was obviously bad news for Pep Guardiola and his team, especially as it came at a time when Inter were competing a lot better than many had expected. The score was goalless at the time that De Bruyne departed, with City dominating possession, but struggling to craft many chances of note and not looking at their composed best. For more sports news and updates, check out our sport page. Follow Metro Sport for the latest news on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.