Ange Postecoglou has praised Manchester City midfielder Kevin De Bruyne ahead of tonight’s FA Cup clash.
After being out of action since August having undertaken surgery on a hamstring problem, the Belgian has started to get some minutes under his belt.
With Pep Guardiola now saying that the 32-year-old is fit enough to start in tonight’s FA Cup clash between City and the north London club, the Spurs boss has shared his thoughts on De Bruyne.
Postecoglou hails ‘fantastic’ De Bruyne
Speaking in a recent interview shared on Tottenham’s YouTube channel, Postecoglou had this to say when asked if De Bruyne’s return to full fitness will have any impact on the way his side will approach tonight’s game.
He said: “I think they’ve got some pretty good players apart from Kevin, but he’s a fantastic player so I’m glad they’re happy to get him back.
“Look, whatever team they put out there is going to be a formidable opponent for us. We know we have to be at our best so that is what we’re going to focus on.”
Since making his return to action, the midfielder has scored one goal and delivered two assists in 54 minutes across two appearances against Newcastle United and Huddersfield Town.
With that in mind, it’s understandable why Postecoglou was asked whether the potential inclusion of De Bruyne in City’s team tonight could play a part in the way he sets his team up.
Last season saw the Belgian make more shot-creating actions (176) and goal-creating actions (31) than any other City player in the Premier League.
This highlights the sort of danger he could cause against Spurs tonight if he’s in the starting XI and in the right sort of form.
Looking ahead to tonight’s match, if De Bruyne does end up starting, it’s safe to say that he has what it takes to be a gamechanger and deliver the goal contributions that could help his side progress to the next stage of the competition.
