Kevin De Bruyne remains absent for Manchester City due to a hamstring injury suffered in the 2023/24 Premier League opener against Burnley.
The Citizens have coped fairly well without the Belgium international, winning six out of seven Premier League games, while also grabbing three points in their one UEFA Champions League outing so far.
However – when Kevin De Bruyne does return for Manchester City – the Belgian may need to have a difficult chat with Julian Alvarez…
What’s the story?
Well, the 32-year-old is expected to return in January.
In De Bruyne’s absence, Alvarez has taken over freekick duty for Manchester City – and to great effect.
The £14.1m man scored an outstanding freekick in Saturday’s 2-1 defeat to Wolves, while also netting another stunning set-piece in the 3-1 UEFA Champions League win over Red Star Belgrade.
Alvarez also hit the woodwork with a superb freekick in the 3-1 win over West Ham at the London Stadium earlier this season.
The Argentina international is shining from dead ball situations – including corners – while De Bruyne recovers from his hamstring injury, and the Manchester City No.17 may find himself involved in a tough situation if he tries to reclaim freekick duties upon his return.
How Julian Alvarez and Kevin De Bruyne freekick records compare at Manchester City
In eight years at Manchester City, De Bruyne has scored eight goals directly from a freekick.
In just over one full campaign at the Etihad Stadium, Alvarez has already scored two direct freekicks.
In truth, you could even argue that it has only been the current season in which the South American has netted his two efforts, as De Bruyne was on freekick duty in Alvarez’s debut campaign.
At this rate, Alvarez is firmly on track to better the 32-year-old’s record.
Of course, De Bruyne will surely not be happy to relinquish freekick duty to the 23-year-old, but if he keeps delivering the goods while the Belgian is out, it may be very tough to take them away from him.
