I read last November 10 that he was doing well. But De Bruyne has yet to join training with Man City. Until now there is no certainty when he will return to play. There are rumors that De Bruyne was involved in writing Drake's song "Wick Man".
If he comes back then this is very good, maybe Man City have a lot of strategy options with De Bruyne. Of course Man City must make sure that he is healed and ready to play.
De Bruyne has a big chance of being played by Pep Guardiola in this match and if he is currently in a fit position it will provide a big advantage for Manchester City. Facing Liverpool definitely requires a complete squad because Jurgen Klopp knows enough how to apply strategy when facing a top team that is much more balanced. De Bruyne's presence is still a good option in midfield because this player can always control the flow of the match and can also provide good ball flow for attacks.
If De Bruyne's condition has not fully recovered then I am sure Pep Guardiola will not play him as a starter and he will try to place another player. For me, De Bruyne's presence is quite important because it will give his team more control over the midfield so that they can provide many opportunities as an option to get three points at home and to maintain a positive trend as top of the standings.
Kevin De Bruyne is really needed to face Liverpool regardless of his current condition. I don't think there's anything wrong with Pep Guardiola including De Bruyne in the second half to maintain his health. Pep can still use other players for the starting eleven, because Liverpool wins in several matches came during the second round of comebacks. Therefore, to balance Liverpool attack in the second half Pep needed someone who could solve Klopp tactics. Liverpool this season is really very aggressive and the front line continues to be solid with each other especially Nunez at international level. Even during the World Cup qualifiers Nunez continued to perform optimally and contributed 2 goals against Bolivia.