Guardiola Optimistic About Haaland’s Recovery
Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola is optimistic about Erling Haaland‘s quick recovery from a back ailment that led to his substitution during the 1-1 stalemate against Arsenal. The Norwegian striker left the field in the 76th minute after informing the coaching staff of discomfort in his back. Although Haaland is expected to miss the upcoming Carabao Cup match against Huddersfield Town on Wednesday, Guardiola anticipates that the 25-year-old could potentially be fit in time for the league match against Burnley this Saturday.
Press Briefing Insights
At a press briefing on Tuesday, Guardiola indicated that he had not seen Haaland during Monday’s recovery session, noting,
“Hopefully he can play at the weekend. It’s been such a demanding week — the last game especially — and sometimes the players have problems. I think he will be fine for the weekend. I hope so.”
Lineup Adjustments for Upcoming Matches
In previous fixtures, Guardiola has fielded the same first eleven against Manchester United, Napoli, and Arsenal. However, the match against Huddersfield will see him rotating the lineup, as Haaland is not the only key player set to be rested. The City boss emphasized,
“It won’t be the same starting XI as the last three games. The only problem for the Carabao Cup is we respect this competition but arriving at the competition with no injuries and we have injuries.”
Kalvin Phillips’ Situation
Despite the adjustments, Kalvin Phillips is unlikely to feature in the squad against Huddersfield. The midfielder, who has returned to City after loan spells with West Ham and Ipswich and is rehabilitating from an Achilles injury, is currently in London for personal reasons as he prepares to welcome his second child. Guardiola remarked,
“He’s coming back, training with us and we will see what happens. He’s coming from surgery so now has to make training sessions and maybe some minutes in some games.”
Focus on Player Fitness
As City gears up for the Cup match, Guardiola is focusing on managing player fitness while also balancing the priorities of upcoming fixtures against Burnley, Monaco, and Brentford, as a number of players in his squad are dealing with injuries. He highlighted the potential opportunity for academy players to step in, saying,
“It would have been perfect for [Rayan] Cherki, [Rayan] Ait-Nouri, Omar [Marmoush] but there are many players who can’t play because they are injured. We will try to compete and go through.”
