Kevin De Bruyne will be ‘out for three or four MONTHS’ with a recurring hamstring injury, reveals Pep Guardiola… as the Man City boss admits club will decide if Belgian star must undergo surgery

Kevin De Bruyne is likely to miss the remainder of the year after being advised to have surgery on a recurring hamstring problem, news that further impacts Manchester City’s transfer business.

City are looking for a new central midfielder and are set to press ahead with a move for West Ham United’s Lucas Paqueta.

Guardiola – who is also without Ruben Dias and Bernardo Silva for Wednesday’s Super Cup final against Sevilla – fears his talisman will require an operation.

‘In the next days we will decide, surgery or not surgery, but it will be a few months out,’ Guardiola said. ‘It’ll be three or four months out.

‘The injury for Kevin is a big loss, he has specific qualities. You can lose it for one or two games but for a long time it’s really tough for us. But you have to look forward.

The Belgian international lasted just 23 minutes of City’s clash at Turf Moor on Friday

Pep Guardiola (pictured) confirmed that De Bruyne could undergo surgery as a result

‘We have alternatives with different skills, different talent. It’s another opportunity, life gives you that. I’m pretty sure they will take it.’

Guardiola offered that Phil Foden could be utilised more centrally, although City are yet to finalise a deal for young Rennes right winger Jeremy Doku.

De Bruyne’s absence also throws up intrigue as to academy midfielder James McAtee’s immediate future with the Treble winners.

Paqueta, a target predating De Bruyne’s setback, is expected to cost up to £80million and City are also fighting to keep No 2 goalkeeper Stefan Ortega.

Ortega is wanted by Bayern Munich and Guardiola revealed that finding new cover for Ederson this late in the window will prove tough.

‘It would be a problem to lose him – first for the quality,’ Guardiola added. When we bring him here because (goalkeeping coach) Xabi Mancisidor sent me clips and said he was a keeper we need.

‘He played for a team relegated from the Bundesliga and from day one I said, “what a keeper we have.” You know how many saves he makes in important games.

‘We don’t want to lose him. We need him but like in many cases it depends on three parts. If we lose Stefan two weeks out of the market, we have to go to pick up a keeper and it’s not easy now. It’s not easy. We want him.’