Pep Guardiola delivers Erling Braut Haaland injury update ahead of Liverpool clash
Pep Guardiola has confirmed that Manchester City striker Erling Braut Haaland is “recovering” and will be assessed in training ahead of Saturday’s Premier League clash at home against Liverpool.
The 22-year-old picked up a groin injury after scoring a hat-trick in City’s 6-0 victory over Burnley in the FA Cup quarter-finals two weeks ago.
Haaland was subsequently forced to withdraw from the Norway squad during the international break and visited a hospital in Barcelona to undergo examinations.
Haaland’s father revealed last week that City’s No.9 would be “touch and go” to feature against Liverpool, and doubts over the striker’s availability intensified on Thursday after he was not spotted in team training.
However, Guardiola has provided hope for Citizens supporters ahead of the Saturday lunchtime kickoff after confirming that Haaland “feels good” and is set to take part in a training session on Friday afternoon where his condition will be assessed.
Speaking at a press conference on Friday, Guardiola said: “Erling is recovering. This afternoon is the last training session then we’ll see how he feels.
“We will see today. Again, the doctors and especially the player will decide how does he feel. Yesterday I spoke with him and he feels good. But we will see.
“Life is risk in these stages. You have to take it. We score a lot of goals this season. He scored an incredible amount of goals. But in the past always we scored a lot of goals.”
Man City heavily relied on Haaland’s poacher instincts in front of goal in their last two matches before the international break, with the Norwegian netting eight goals in victories against RB Leipzig and Burnley, including five against the former in the Champions League last 16.
Haaland has scored a total of 42 goals in just 37 games across all competitions this season, including 28 strikes in the Premier League, and he will be eager to return to action as soon as possible as he bids to break the all-time Premier League Golden Boot record for a 38-game season, which is currently held by Liverpool’s Mohamed Salah (32).
Elsewhere on the injury front, Guardiola has revealed that Phil Foden is ruled out for between two and three weeks after undergoing appendicitis surgery in London last weekend.
“Phil had surgery,” Guardiola added. “The doctors tell me two or three weeks. So we will see how his development after appendix surgery.”
Foden is therefore set to miss City’s next five matches in all competitions, including both legs of their Champions League quarter-final with Bayern Munich, while he may face a race against time to recover for the FA Cup semi-final against Sheffield United at Wembley on April 22.
The absence of Foden will see the likes of Jack Grealish, Riyad Mahrez and Bernardo Silva all battle for a place on the flanks in Guardiola’s starting lineup, while Julian Alvarez may be handed a start in attack if Haaland is not deemed fit to begin against Liverpool.
Man City, who currently sit second in the Premier League table, will move to within five points of league leaders Arsenal with a victory over Jurgen Klopp’s side before the Gunners face Leeds United a couple of hours later.
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