Pep Guardiola provides Erling Haaland injury update ahead of Manchester City's clash against Sheffield United
Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has provided an update on Erling Haaland's injury ahead of the Premier League clash with Sheffield United on Saturday, December 30.
Speaking to the press conference ahead of tomorrow's fixture, Guardiola revealed that nothing has changed with regards to Haaland's injury situation. Hence, Manchester City fans will need to wait further before witnessing the Norwegian striker make his highly anticipated return to the pitch.
"Nothing changed from the last game," the Spaniard told reporters. "We have the same injuries plus John Stones."
Erling Haaland hasn't represented Manchester City since picking up a foot injury in the 1-0 loss to Aston Villa at the start of December. The Norwegian has now spent 20 days on the sidelines, missing seven games in the process.
There was some level of optimism regarding his potential return ahead of Sheffield United's visit this weekend. But following Pep Guardiola's revelation, it is now official that the striker has already played his last game in 2023.
The striker will now be racing to get back in action in January for their FA Cup third-round clash against Huddersfield on January 7. Pep Guardiola will be eager to have him back in the group considering the tight schedule lying ahead.
Erling Haaland's stats for Manchester City so far this season
Despite his injury setback, no one has been able to match Erling Haaland's numbers in front of goal in the Premier League so far this season. The Norwegian still tops the goalscoring chart with 14 strikes to his name, two goals ahead of his closest rival Mohamed Salah.
Overall, the 23-year-old has bagged 19 goals and five assists for Manchester City in 22 appearances across all competitions. That includes 14 goals and four assists in the Premier League as well as five goals and one assist in the UEFA Champions League.
The striker will get the opportunity to raise his tally higher when he makes his comeback next month. The Cityzens are still active in the league, Champions League, and the FA Cup. They were, however, eliminated from the EFL Cup in the third round by Newcastle United.