Will Erling Haaland play for Manchester City this week? Pep Guardiola issues massive fitness update regarding the Norwegian star
Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has confirmed that superstar Erling Haaland is back to full fitness. The forward will be available to take on Southampton in their Premier League clash at St Mary's Stadium on Saturday (April 8).
The 22-year-old picked up a minor groin injury during Manchester City's 6-0 rout of Burnley in the FA Cup on March 18, where he scored a hat-trick. He was subsequently forced to withdraw from the Norwegian national team and hasn't played since.
Haaland returned to full team training this Wednesday (April 5) after a short trip to London. However, question marks were raised on whether the Norway international would be able to feature in Manchester City's clash against Southampton tomorrow.
Pep Guardiola removed all doubts in today's pre-match press conference. When asked about Haaland, he replied (via Manchester Evening News):
"He trained the last two days, really good. He will be ready. Bayern Munich is the last thought. It’s Southampton. Premier League is every day, every week."
When asked if he needed to manage the forward's minutes, he replied:
"In terms of physicality, we’ve got two months to go. We’re not training to get rhythm. Sleep a lot eat well. Do it well, focus."
Guardiola and Co. will be boosted by Erling Haaland's return tomorrow. He has scored an impressive 42 goals in 37 appearances to date this season and will be an integral factor in their hunt for silverware this season.
Manchester City are currently second in the Premier League with 64 points, eight behind Arsenal, with a game in hand. They will need to attempt to win all their remaining games in hand to retain their title.
Southampton manager Ruben Selles not relying on 'hope' to stop Manchester City ace Erling Haaland
Ruben Selles was appointed as Southampton's permanent manager towards the end of February. Despite his best efforts, the Saints are currently bottom of the table with just 23 points and are facing relegation.
When asked about the Norweigan, Selles said (via Manchester Evening News):
"Well we don't work with hope, we work with facts and with situations that we can control. I don't think one player can change the dynamic of one team."
He added:
"And it's not about Erling Haaland, it is about a team that knows how to use their players in the best way possible. So that's what we are focusing [on]. If Erling is there, then we will play against him and if he is not there then they have a striker that just won the World Cup with Argentina."
A win tomorrow against Manchester City would take them one point away from safety and Selles will be aware of limiting the damage Erling Haaland could potentially inflict.