Manchester City midfielder Kevin De Bruyne said he is still feeling the effects of COVID-19 nearly a month after first testing positive for the virus.
De Bruyne returned a positive test on Nov. 17, the day after Belgium’s World Cup qualifier against Wales. He returned to training following 10 days in isolation and managed to complete 90 minutes for City against Leeds United at the Etihad Stadium on Wednesday.
De Bruyne scored twice in the 7-0 win including a 25-yard rocket in the second half but afterward, the 30-year-old said he is yet to return to full health.
“I still feel sometimes that my body is still adapting because sometimes I do two or three sprints and feel it, having had COVID,” he said.
“I was pretty sick for four days. I think it was like 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 okay.”
De Bruyne has endured a difficult six months after being forced off early during May’s Champions League final defeat to Chelsea in May after a collision with Antonio Rudiger and then suffering ankle ligament damage playing for Belgium at Euro 2020.
He has been limited to just 12 starts this season but there is hope his problems with injury and illness are now behind him.
“This season is what it is,” he said. “There is nothing I can do about it, I’ve been kicked in the face, kicked in my ankle and I had COVID afterward.
“It’s part of football. After COVID, I came back and trained as hard as I can. With the schedule, it is not that easy but I’m doing all right, I played in two games and came in as a sub in two so I’m doing what I need to do.
“The ankle was the worst because playing and having pain every day is not something that you want to have but after a while, it got better and better. Then I got COVID. Manchester City midfielder Kevin De Bruyne said he is still feeling the effects of COVID-19 nearly a month after first testing positive for the virus.
De Bruyne returned a positive test on Nov. 17, the day after Belgium’s World Cup qualifier against Wales. He returned to training following 10 days in isolation and managed to complete 90 minutes for City against Leeds United at the Etihad Stadium on Wednesday.
De Bruyne scored twice in the 7-0 win including a 25-yard rocket in the second half but afterward, the 30-year-old said he is yet to return to full health.
“I still feel sometimes that my body is still adapting because sometimes I do two or three sprints and feel it, having had COVID,” he said.
“I was pretty sick for four days. I think it was like 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 okay.”
De Bruyne has endured a difficult six months after being forced off early during May’s Champions League final defeat to Chelsea in May after a collision with Antonio Rudiger and then suffering ankle ligament damage playing for Belgium at Euro 2020.
He has been limited to just 12 starts this season but there is hope his problems with injury and illness are now behind him.
“This season is what it is,” he said. “There is nothing I can do about it, I’ve been kicked in the face, kicked in my ankle and I had COVID afterward.
“It’s part of football. After COVID, I came back and trained as hard as I can. With the schedule, it is not that easy but I’m doing all right, I played in two games and came in as a sub in two so I’m doing what I need to do.
“The ankle was the worst because playing and having pain every day is not something that you want to have but after a while, it got better and better. Then I got COVID.
