Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola states that it would be "nice" if Kevin De Bruyne could lift the FA Cup as captain during his final season with the club.

The Belgian midfielder is set to leave Manchester City this summer when his contract expires, but he has the opportunity to add a third FA Cup to his collection, which already includes six Premier League titles, five League Cups, and a Champions League, as the team faces Crystal Palace on Saturday.

"Of course, Kevin wants to achieve this for us and for the team. We want to do it for him. However, to win, we must perform well. Of course, it would be nice," Guardiola remarked.

"He wasn't the captain for many years yet has lifted numerous trophies—around 18 or 19 in nine or ten years. It's impressive, I'd say. If he lifts one more, that would be excellent. Perhaps he wasn't the first to lift the previous ones as captain, but he still did."

Guardiola also emphasized that De Bruyne won't be selected purely for sentimental reasons at Wembley, noting that the midfielder remains a vital player on the field.

"I include him in the lineup because I believe he can deliver as he has before," said the City manager. "For instance, against Crystal Palace when we were 2-0 down, he turned the game around with his free-kick, which sparked our 5-2 victory."

"In our current situation, we can't make decisions based on sentiment alone; it's because we truly believe he will make a difference for us."

Will De Bruyne start? "I don't know yet," Guardiola said during his Friday lunchtime comments. "I have an idea, but we'll see."