Kevin De Bruyne admits he is still battling Covid-19 side effects

Manchester City midfielder Kevin De Bruyne has revealed that he is still struggling with some side-effects of his Covid-19 infection.

The Belgian, who battled face and ankle injuries earlier in the season, tested positive in November and missed three Premier League games and one in the Champions League, all of which City ended up winning fairly comfortably.

He made his first start since the infection in Tuesday's 7-0 mauling of Leeds United, stealing the show with two excellent goals, but De Bruyne confessed after the game that he found it physically challenging to complete 90 minutes.

“My rhythm is getting better," he said (via The Guardian). "This season is what it is. There is nothing I can do about it, I’ve been kicked in the face, kicked in my ankle and I had Covid afterwards. It’s part of football.

“After Covid, I came back and trained as hard as I could. With the schedule it is not that easy but I’m doing all right. I played in two games and came on as a sub in two so I’m doing what I need to do.

“I still feel sometimes that my body is adapting because I do two or three sprints and feel it, having had Covid.”

Describing his experience with the virus, De Bruyne confessed he may have gotten off pretty lightly.

“I was pretty sick for four days,” he said. “I think it was like the flu but I’ve never had that so can’t say for sure. But I had a temperature, especially in the evenings, and lost my smell and taste. After five days it was getting better but needed more time for the taste and the smell but now I’m OK.

“I was 10 days on my own so I was running up the walls. I can’t sit still anyway. I got away from my family as I didn’t think we had it as a family and I didn’t want to give it to my wife and kids. It was pretty hard to see them through a glass door.

“I watched Netflix, gaming and sometimes I would chill with the kids with a door in between us. I already saw Squid Game so I watched a lot of rubbish.”