The Daily Star reports that Kevin De Bruyne, a midfielder for Manchester City, will not be staying with the club long enough to participate in this summer’s Club World Cup.
After his contract with the Premier League winners expires at the end of June, in the midst of the summer tournament, De Bruyne is expected to depart.
The Belgian has previously criticized the club’s leadership for allowing him to go, and now his participation in the Club World Cup is in jeopardy. Now because he’s worried about hurting himself, De Bruyne is hesitant to play, which could hurt his transfer market value.
The 33-year-old’s contract doesn’t end until June 30th, so he’ll have to fly to the US for the tournament’s commencement in the middle of the month. But in future discussions, he hopes City will comprehend his predicament.
In cases like De Bruyne’s, teams competing in the Club World Cup can ask for an exception to continue utilizing players.