Kevin De Bruyne's Injury Is a Huge Blow, but Manchester City Can Cope

Manchester City’s injury-affected season has taken another dramatic turn with the news Kevin De Bruyne’s damaged knee ligaments will keep him out for up to 10 weeks.

De Bruyne fell heavily under a challenge from Everton’s Ramiro Funes Mori on Wednesday, and he is set to face an extended period on the sidelines.

It’s significant blow for manager Manuel Pellegrini and means the Belgian, signed from Wolfsburg in the summer for a club-record £54 million, will miss the League Cup final and both of City’s Champions League last-16 games with Dynamo Kiev.

“We knew after the game that it was a serious injury,” Pellegrini told reporters on Friday. "He will not be out for the whole season because it's not a cruciate ligament, but we knew it was important damage.

“We hope he can return before, but the first diagnosis is that he will be out for eight to 10 weeks."

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Replacing De Bruyne will be tough. He’s scored 12 goals and assisted 12 more since arriving in August—a remarkable return for a 24-year-old with limited experience of English football.

His last appearance, as a substitute in Wednesday’s League Cup semi-final second leg with Everton, was indicative of his season to date. He scored the goal that levelled the tie—an incisive finish from inside the area—before delivering a pinpoint ball into the area that saw Sergio Aguero send City to Wembley.

His introduction was key in turning the tie and keeping City on course for four trophies.

It felt like a seismic moment for the team, the kind that could be the catalyst for improved form. City’s results have been somewhat erratic—a place in a major final is just what they needed. News of De Bruyne’s injury has tempered some of the optimism created by that dramatic win, but City have the squad the cope if Aguero can remain fit for the remainder of the season.

In David Silva, Yaya Toure, Jesus Navas and Raheem Sterling, City have players who are adaptable and offer attacking options.

At the start of the campaign, City went on a run of five straight wins without conceding a goal, playing a system that saw Sterling on the left and Navas on the right. Although neither offers the same knack of providing goals and assists De Bruyne does, there was a balance to the side and plenty of pace to stretch defences.

Pellegrini said he feels he has other important players who can cover in the former Chelsea man's absence.

“It's very important for the club not to play with Kevin, but as I've said, we've had very important players that can't play through the whole season for different reasons—David Silva, Sergio Aguero, Vincent Kompany,” he said.

“We must continue playing with the whole squad if we want to be a competitive team. It is one important player less, but we must continue with the same optimism and more responsibility for the rest of the squad.”

The fear would be where the number of goals City need to be competitive in major competitions would come from with De Bruyne, City’s second-top scorer, unavailable.

Aguero is fit and back to his optimum level. Goals feel guaranteed. His header on Wednesday that won the tie was superb. He bagged two at West Ham United and hit the post after a moment of individual brilliance. His movement and sharpness has returned. This is the Aguero who's considered the best striker in Europe.

He has 15 goals for the season. With him at his best, and with the cast of support forwards behind him chipping in, City may just have enough to get by in De Bruyne’s absence.

But another injury to Aguero would leave City desperately short of goalscoring power.

Never has the Argentinian's fitness felt so important.

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Rob Pollard is Bleacher Report's lead Manchester City correspondent and will be following the club from a Manchester base throughout the 2015/16 season. All quotes were obtained firsthand unless otherwise noted. Follow him on Twitter @RobPollard_.