Manchester City have announced that Kevin De Bruyne will not return until December after sustaining a knee injury in Thursday's EFL Cup tie with Fulham.
De Bruyne missed the majority of the opening two months of the season with a knee problem, but the 27-year-old's outing against the Cottagers had represented his fourth appearance since making a comeback in October.
However, the Belgium international sustained an issue with his opposite knee during a coming-together with Timothy Fosu-Mensah, and it has left the playmaker facing another spell on the sidelines.
City have revealed in a statement that De Bruyne faces an absence of between five and six weeks, but tests have indicated that surgery on the injury is not required.
De Bruyne will now miss next week's Manchester derby, while the midfielder is unlikely to feature during the rest of the Champions League group stages.
