De Bruyne suffers another injury in blow to Manchester City's title challenge

The Belgium international has been dogged by injuries this season, missing most of the first half of the campaign with successive knee ligament problems.

He was also absent for the majority of March with a thigh issue.

De Bruyne had been in strong form since his return in the 2-0 win over Fulham on March 30, particularly standing out on Wednesday against Tottenham in the Champions League quarter-final second leg, providing three assists as City won 4-3 but went out on away goals.

But against Spurs in the Premier League three days later, he appeared to strain his left knee once again while taking a shot just before half-time.

Although he managed to walk off the pitch unaided, City swiftly opted to replace him with Fernandinho.

City next face Manchester United in Wednesday's derby – a match that could be vital in City's Premier League title defence, with Liverpool starting the weekend with a one-point lead at the top of the table.