Erling Haaland injury: Pep Guardiola offers new update on Man City striker before Liverpool clash

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·20 de febrero de 2025

Erling Haaland injury: Pep Guardiola offers new update on Man City striker before Liverpool clash

Prolific frontman did not come off the bench as his side crashed out of the Champions League to Real Madrid

Pep Guardiola has issued a new update on Erling Haaland’s fitness ahead of the huge Premier League showdown between Manchester City and Liverpool.

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The reigning Golden Boot winner suffered a knee issue towards the end of last weekend’s 4-0 home rout of Newcastle, appearing in some discomfort as he was replaced three minutes from time by Mateo Kovacic.

Haaland was pictured taking part in City training on Monday and was named in the squad that flew to Spain for the crucial second-leg decider in their Champions League knockout play-off round tie against Real Madrid, in which they trailed 3-2 despite the Norwegian’s brace at the Etihad Stadium last week.

However, despite that, Haaland was named only as a substitute at the Bernabeu on Tuesday night and, like Kevin De Bruyne, did not come off the bench at all as a stylish Kylian Mbappe hat-trick condemned City to a 6-3 aggregate defeat and saw the 2022/23 winners crash out of Europe’s revamped elite club competition before the knockout rounds proper.

Such a lack of involvement from the prolific 24-year-old has led to inevitable concerns that he also may not be fit for Sunday, when Premier League leaders Liverpool visit the Etihad. City also travel to Tottenham next week before their FA Cup fifth-round tie at home to Plymouth.

Asked for an update on Haaland after the second-leg loss in Madrid, in which new signing Nico Gonzalez scored a consolation goal in stoppage time, City boss Guardiola said: “Erling, yesterday, tried to train after the action against Newcastle in the last minutes.

“Probably, with the images (scans) we have done, it’s fine but he has discomfort walking, for example with stairs, and we spoke yesterday and this morning and he said he’s not ready, he doesn’t feel good.”

Speaking on Haaland ahead of the game, Guardiola had said: “Not far off, was close but not enough. He trained a bit yesterday, but we spoke yesterday, this morning, and he said he doesn't feel good so another one.

“Of course Erling is massively important for us, you don't need to be a manager to realise, but it is what it is, during the seasons it happens, we are used this season to many cases and it could not be differently today.”

City remain without other key players such as Rodri and Manuel Akanji, while youngster Oscar Bobb is working his way back to full fitness after months on the sidelines.

They suffered another key setback during the early stages in Madrid as John Stones limped off after only eight minutes, with Nathan Ake called to come on instead.

“We conceded the goal so early and the injury from John, it’s a little bit like what happened this season and we could not defend well with their movement,” Guardiola lamented after the game.