Pep Guardiola not promising Kevin De Bruyne will start final Man City home match | OneFootball

Pep Guardiola has offered no guarantee that Kevin De Bruyne will start his final home game for Manchester City.

De Bruyne, who is leaving the club when his contract expires this summer, is set to play at the Etihad Stadium for one last time in a City shirt against Bournemouth on Tuesday.

Yet with City still to secure Champions League qualification, manager Guardiola will not be guided by sentiment in his selection for the Premier League clash.

Guardiola said: “What Kevin wants is that we win the game to qualify for the Champions League next season. That is what Kevin wants. It cannot be otherwise.

“I’m going to decide the best so that we can have the best chance to win the game against Bournemouth.”

Regardless of the minutes De Bruyne plays, the club are planning to pay tribute after the game to one of the greatest players of the Premier League era.

De Bruyne, whose successes in a glorious decade at City include six league titles and the Champions League, will receive a guard of honour from team-mates and backroom staff before a light show with pyrotechnics.

Marie and Jon Bell, wife and son respectively of former City player Colin Bell, will also be in attendance for a presentation to the 33-year-old.

With De Bruyne not expected to be involved at the Club World Cup, next Sunday’s game at Fulham would then be his last for the club.

City have been linked with Bayer Leverkusen playmaker Florian Wirtz as a potential replacement, but latest reports have suggested interest has cooled in the Germany international.

Victory over Bournemouth, in what is a game in hand, would lift City into third in the table heading into their final fixture at Craven Cottage.

Defeat would leave them sixth and with just one point separating the teams from third to seventh in a tight battle for top-five places.

City have qualified for the Champions League every season since the 2011-12 campaign.

“Of course it’s important,” Guardiola said. “We have been in for the last 14 or 15 years and it is where we want to be – but if we are not there it is because we don’t deserve it, and we will play the Europa League.

“But I’m thinking we’re going to qualify. I control my mind and I think that.

“The first step is to finish in third position in the Premier League and that is the main target.”

Guardiola needs to lift his side from the disappointment of their defeat by Crystal Palace in the FA Cup final on Saturday.

He said: “We played a really good final but not enough to win it and now we have the last two games.

“We need four points to be in the Champions League next year and this is enough (motivation). Everyone has to be aware of that.”

Guardiola says he has not watched Saturday’s game back.

He said: “I didn’t see the game. My focus is Bournemouth. Maybe tonight I will review certain images but last night and this morning I was focused on Bournemouth.”

Guardiola insists he has not designated a penalty-taker despite Omar Marmoush missing from the spot at Wembley after top-scorer Erling Haaland surprisingly passed up the opportunity.

He said: “I didn’t talk with them. We train this afternoon. It’s so clear – the taker has to score a goal.”