When Kevin de Bruyne left the pitch with 16 minutes left in Manchester City’s game after being replaced by Rico Lewis 3-0 win over Nottingham ForestPep Guardiola grabbed the Belgian and pulled him into a hug.

It was like a father showing his son affection for a job well done.

De Bruyne replied with a satisfied smile before continuing towards the top of the small terrace with the City benches.

A day earlier, Guardiola scoffed at suggestions from Sky Sports duo Jamie Carragher and Gary Neville that there was some sort of rift between the boss and his star man.

Why on earth, replied Guardiola, would he leave out someone who has the ability to deliver moments like no other, even in his star-studded squad?

Finally back on the pitch and starting a Premier League game for the first time since August, De Bruyne proved exactly what Guardiola meant.

On a night when Guardiola conceded that City had to win, it was the Belgian’s powerful header that gave Bernardo Silva the opening goal in the eighth minute, allowing them to finally end their seven-game winning streak and reduce the gap to leaders Liverpool to nine Points decreased.

De Bruyne’s subsequent goal was something wonderful as he pulled away from Jeremy Doku while his compatriot ran with the ball and had enough space to receive the short pass and send his shot into the corner.

De Bruyne, given extra space by his manager’s decision to play Jack Grealish alongside him in a central position, planned in the way he normally does. As opportunities came and went, he played an important role.

De Bruyne played 74 minutes, his longest since playing the full 90 minutes against Brentford on September 14. He was on the bench when he was named man of the match, a decision that was greeted with enthusiasm by the City support.

“I’m so happy he’s back,” Guardiola said. “He played 75 fantastic minutes.

“He deserves the best because he is a lovely guy and has been hugely important for so many years since he arrived.”

City are now unbeaten in their last 31 Premier League games, with De Bruyne starting. He was involved in 25 goals (nine goals, 16 assists) in these games.

De Bruyne said: “There were never any problems between me and Pep. He knows I had problems. It’s painful and uncomfortable.”

“Hopefully I can get back to my body without a lot of pain and then I’ll be fine.”

A bit like the win itself, though – marred by an injury to Manuel Akanji, which could potentially rule the Swiss defender out of the weekend trip to Crystal Palace, and a hamstring problem for Nathan Ake, who has already missed five weeks this season with a similar injury That Guardiola said “doesn’t look good” and makes him “sad” for the Dutchman – there was a caveat when the City coach assessed De Bruyne’s contribution.

“He fought a lot and prepared,” he said. “He is physically fit again. The minutes he played at Anfield were really good.”

“He was out for many months last season and also this season. We’ll see how he recovers after a long period of injury and how he feels in three days.”

De Bruyne recorded four or more shots and created four or more chances in a Premier League game for the third time this season.

Despite only starting five Premier League games, only Arsenal’s Bukayo Saka has done so more this season.

Guardiola’s fear must be that his body will fail him if he pushes De Bruyne too far too quickly.

Former Man City defender Micah Richards told BBC Match of the Day: “He is a first-class player and one of the best we have ever seen. He always manages to find space on the field.”

“He was an integral part of Man City’s success over a number of years,” former City manager Stuart Pearce added on Amazon Prime.

“He is the player of choice who inspires Erling Haaland with his passing game. He creates goals, he scores goals.”

“If you were to pick a player in the last eight or nine years, De Bruyne would be at the top of almost everyone’s list.”

It’s a delicate balance considering his team is still nine points behind Premier League leaders Liverpool and ahead of next week’s trip to Italy and a clash with Juventus, after which City only have first phase games left in the January will also be outside the top eight of the Champions League. They still have to secure qualification for the round of 16 without having to worry about the play-off round in February.

But like his team, De Bruyne’s recovery had to start somewhere.