Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola does not know when Kevin De Bruyne will return to action after admitting the playmaker’s injury is worse than first thought.

De Bruyne has not played for City since being forced off at half-time in the Champions League draw against Inter Milan in mid-September.

The 33-year-old also missed four months of last season after hamstring surgery.

“I would like to tell you (when he can return), I especially would like to know, but I don’t know,” Guardiola said.

Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola points with his right hand on the touchline
Pep Guardiola’s has injuries in his City squad (Martin Rickett/PA)

“He feels better to train but to go to the level we need for competition he still has pain. Kevin has to feel good to express the huge talent that he has.”

Asked if the injury was more complicated than it initially appeared, Guardiola added: “Yeah, that’s why I’m not a doctor. He’s feeling better but not the best.

“If he doesn’t come back as quick as possible we will struggle because we cannot sustain it with 14 or 15 players but it is what it is.

“We need players to come back but it is what it is. Hopefully that can happen after the international break.”

Guardiola’s injury problems having been growing in recent weeks.

Newly-crowned Ballon d’Or winner Rodri is out for the rest of the campaign, Oscar Bobb is yet to play after breaking his leg in pre-season, while Kyle Walker, Jack Grealish and Jeremy Doku will all miss Wednesday’s Carabao Cup trip to Spurs.

After beating Watford in the last round, Guardiola said he intended to play academy players in this competition because of the already heavy demand on his senior squad, although a draw away to Spurs has forced a re-think on that front.

The likes of James McAtee and Nico O’Reilly will hope to be involved, but Guardiola admitted he needed to prepare for the challenge of a Tottenham side smarting from the 1-0 loss to Crystal Palace at the weekend.

“There is someone (who will come into the side) but we play against Spurs,” Guardiola said.

“They’re coming from defeat and I know what that is mentally for managers and players. They’re playing against City, I’m sorry to say it but we have won four Premier Leagues in a row. I know they will be at their best.

“We also won the Carabao Cup four in a row (between the 2017-18 and 2020-21 seasons) and I always used the early rounds to play guys who didn’t play regularly.

“Now we have a problem that we have a lot of injured players and I cannot rotate like I would and I don’t want to put much pressure on the young players on this stage for this opponents so I have to make a mix of the players.”