Kevin De Bruyne exits Manchester City's clash with Arsenal on Saturday

Kevin De Bruyne was excluded from the Manchester City match in the Premier League on Saturday night at home to Arsenal.

De Bruyne He was forced to withdraw from the Belgium squad After being substituted during the second half of last weekend’s 2-1 loss to England.

City coach Pep Guardiola does not think the injury is very serious, but he is not sure how long De Bruyne will be away.

“I don’t think it’s a lot, but I think he will be absent in the next matches,” Guardiola said. “But we will see how things are going day in and day out.

“I can not answer [exactly how many games De Bruyne will miss] because I do not know.”

Better news for City fans has been on striker Sergio Aguero, who is close to making his season debut after knee surgery.

“He is training well and we are happy,” Guardiola said. “Every team needs a striker and we’ve played the last two or three games without them [Gabriel Jesus is also out injured at present].

“He has been training well and we are happy to see him return to the field after a very long time.”

Saturday’s match will once again see Guardiola against Arsenal coach Mikel Arteta, who was previously his assistant at City.

Their relationship was sometimes classified as that of a master and a junior – but Arteta beat his former boss in the FA Cup semi-finals last season, then went on to lead Arsenal to their first title in three years.

Guardiola said: “Perhaps we should clarify who is the master and who is the apprentice first.

“All the people who knew him, we had no doubts about what he was doing in such a short period of time.

“He settled really well and the way his team plays now is perfect for the quality they have.

“He has been able to get Arsenal back to the position it has been in for a long time. He performs really well in all competitions. Mikel is a competitor and a fighter.

“All the people who love him, we are more than happy with what he’s doing in London.”

Will Arsenal make a statement in Man City?

Mikel Arteta takes Arsenal to Manchester City on Saturday to face his mentor Pep Guardiola – but will the Gunners win to confirm their improvement under his leadership?

Former City coach Arteta has faced Guardiola and City twice already in his short coaching career, losing 3-0 at Al Ittihad upon the resumption of the Premier League in June and then winning a surprising 2-0 victory in the FA Cup semi-final. On her way to raise this cup.

Former Arsenal striker and current Sky Sports analyst Alan Smith has admired Arteta’s work at the club since taking charge last December and fully expects Arsenal to improve in eighth place last season in the Premier League.

“I think the Arsenal fans will be looking forward to this match,” Smith said. Presentation to preview a podcast. “More than a year ago when going to the places for the big boys would have saturated them with a little dread about whether or not they would be turned over.”

“But at the present time, a win by losing or a draw, the Arsenal fans are absolutely confident that they will go there ready and organized and give City a good match.”