Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola stated that Erling Haaland is still a doubt for Sunday’s Premier League match against Liverpool after missing his team’s Champions League exit to Real Madrid.
The Norwegian striker was named on the bench at the Santiago Bernabeu but did not play in City’s 3-1 defeat, which saw them eliminated 6-3 on aggregate.
“We will know tomorrow,” Guardiola said at his pre-match press conference on Friday.
With the January signing of Omar Marmoush, Guardiola has an alternative should Haaland fail to recover in time to face the league leaders, but he emphasized the significance of his star striker, who has scored 27 goals this season. “It’s better to have Erling on the pitch than not,” he added. “Of course, with Erling, we are stronger.”
The ongoing rivalry between Guardiola’s City and Jurgen Klopp’s Liverpool has defined an era in the Premier League, but under Arne Slot, Liverpool are now on track for the title in his first season in charge.
“For me, it’s an exceptional team. I’ve said many times, they’ve been the biggest rival in my tenure here,” Guardiola remarked. “Arsenal has been involved recently too, but I couldn’t expect anything different from Liverpool (being) in the position they are.”
Liverpool currently hold an eight-point lead over Arsenal, who have a game in hand and are expected to reduce the gap to five points when they play West Ham on Saturday.
After four consecutive title wins, City’s hopes of defending their crown are all but over, as they sit 17 points behind Liverpool in fourth place.
Injuries have significantly impacted City’s performance this season. John Stones is expected to be out for a couple more months after injuring his thigh against Madrid, and Rodri and Manuel Akanji may not play again this season.
Guardiola blamed the intense schedule for the team’s struggles, pointing out that clubs like Arsenal, Real Madrid, and Tottenham are also dealing with numerous muscle injuries this season.
City’s season could extend into mid-July due to their participation in the Club World Cup, with the next Premier League campaign starting just a month later.
Guardiola expressed concerns about the potential for a similar situation next season, which could hinder City’s ability to compete for major titles.
“Of course, I’m concerned. Will everybody be fit next season? I don’t know what’s going to happen,” he said. “We already have a lot of players who can’t sustain the schedule we’ve had. Playing in multiple competitions, traveling, week in and week out—it’s too much for the players. More than 50 games is too much for the human body. We reach 65 or 70 games, and at the end, look what happens. It’s not just Man City; it’s all clubs.”
