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MANCHESTER, England — Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has denied he has a "personal problem" with Kevin De Bruyne and insists the playmaker's absence from the team in recent weeks was down to his fitness issues. City has not won in seven outings in all competitions for its worst run under Guardiola and De Bruyne has featured only as a substitute in the last five of those matches after recovering from a pelvic injury. The Belgium midfielder was injured during City's Champions League match with Inter Milan on Sept. 18 and hasn't started since. A number of prominent pundits, including former City defender and club ambassador Micah Richards, have questioned why De Bruyne hasn't been starting games amid the champions' dramatic slump.
