Pep Guardiola has confessed he remains uncertain about when Erling Haaland will return to action, though he is hopeful the striker could feature in Manchester City’s upcoming match against Tottenham Hotspur on Wednesday.
Haaland was absent from the squad during City’s tough week, which saw them fall 3-1 to Real Madrid and suffer a 2-0 home defeat to Liverpool.
Despite these setbacks, City still hold fourth place in the Premier League, keeping their Champions League qualification hopes alive.
The Norwegian striker has been sidelined since sustaining a knee injury against Newcastle on February 15. Although scans revealed no serious damage, Haaland has reported discomfort that has kept him off the pitch.
Guardiola acknowledged the uncertainty surrounding Haaland’s recovery. “I don’t know when he’ll be back,” he admitted. “Scans show no injury, but he still doesn’t feel right. He trained recently and looked good, but he says he’s not ready. We hope he can return against Spurs.”
The absence of key players like Haaland has taken its toll on City’s season. Guardiola suggested injuries have played a significant role in the team’s struggles compared to Liverpool’s consistent form.
“Liverpool have had no major injuries, allowing them to maintain stability,” Guardiola noted. “With Haaland, Rodri, Stones, and Akanji, we are a better team, but injuries have disrupted us.”
Meanwhile, Liverpool extended their lead at the top of the table to 11 points after goals from Mohamed Salah and Dominik Szoboszlai sealed their victory at the Etihad. While City’s title hopes are effectively over, Liverpool’s manager Arne Slot remains cautious, stating that no lead is safe in the Premier League.
“As comfortable as this lead would be in other leagues, the Premier League always presents challenges,” Slot said, refusing to declare the title race over.
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