According to coach Pep Guardiola, striker Erling Haaland will miss the match against Crystal Palace in round 17 of the Premier League and is uncertain to participate in the FIFA Club World Cup next weekend.
Haaland started all 14 Premier League games before suffering a metatarsal injury in the 1-0 defeat at Aston Villa on December 6. The Norwegian striker missed the 2-1 win over Luton in the Premier League and the 3-2 win over Red Star Belgrade in the Champions League.
Haaland returned to Man City's headquarters yesterday, but Guardiola must wait for a doctor's assessment before making further decisions. "Haaland has to undergo treatment, and hopefully he can go to Saudi Arabia with the team," the Spaniard said. "Then we will see if Haaland can play or not, or when he will return."
Asked about the possibility of Haaland returning in time for this weekend's game against Crystal Palace, Guardiola replied: "Maybe there will be a surprise and they will tell me something new but I don't think so."
Haaland (left) and coach Guardiola during the Man City vs Young Boys match in the Champions League, taking place at Wankdorf Stadium, in Bern on 20/25/2023. Photo: AFP
The 52-year-old coach denied that the Norwegian striker would be out for a long time, stressing that his student did not break his leg but only suffered a muscle strain. "Sometimes players recover faster or take longer. The doctors said that we have to monitor Haaland day by day, week by week to see how he feels. At the moment, Haaland has no symptoms and does not feel pain," he said.
Haaland had an explosive first season at the Etihad Stadium, scoring 52 goals in 53 games in all competitions, helping Man City win a historic treble of the Champions League, Premier League and FA Cup. He continues to lead the Man City scoring charts this season, scoring 14 goals in 15 Premier League games and five goals in five Champions League games.
Crystal Palace are winless in their last five games with four defeats, but they shocked Man City 2-0 at the Etihad in October 2021. Therefore, Guardiola warned that Man City would have a difficult match and highly appreciated Crystal Palace in set-piece situations.
Asked if he would extend his career like current Crystal Palace manager Roy Hodgson - the oldest manager in the Premier League this season at 76, Guardiola replied: "I don't think so, but you never know. He still has the fire and the passion, and Crystal Palace are playing really well."
After the Crystal Palace match, Man City will participate in the FIFA Club World Cup in Saudi Arabia for the first time from December 12 to December 22. As the reigning European champions, they will only start their competition from the semi-finals, meeting the winner of the match between Club Leon (Mexico, reigning CONCACAF Champions League champions) and Urawa Reds (Japan, reigning AFC Champions League champions) on December 19. The final will take place on December 22.
Hong Duy
Source link
Comment (0)