Erling Haaland has been struggling with a foot injury (Picture: Getty Images)
Pep Guardiola does not think Erling Haaland will be available for Manchester City’s Premier League clash with Crystal Palace on Saturday.
The Norwegian striker is suffering with a stress problem in his foot, and while not serious, he is unlikely to feature this weekend.
Guardiola said it was much more likely that Haaland will next be in action at the Club World Cup in Saudi Arabia later this month.
On Haaland’s return from injury, Guardiola told a press conference on Friday: ‘[He] Arrives today and we will see, the doctors will see him and we’ll see how he feels. He’s been in treatment away [from the club].
‘Hopefully he can travel to Saudi tomorrow after the game, I think he’s going to travel with us and after we will see if he is able to play in the first game or the second.’
On whether he will be involved against Palace, Guardiola added: ‘I don’t think so. Maybe they’ll surprise me and tell me something new, but I don’t think so.
‘It’s not structural, it’s just stress. Sometimes those players recover quicker, sometimes longer. Day by day, week by week, how he feels. The moment he doesn’t have symptoms or feel pain he’ll be ready to play again.’
Pep Guardiola is not expecting to have his top-scorer on Saturday (Picture: Getty Images)
Haaland is the top-scorer in the Premier League so far this season, scoring 14 goals in just 15 appearances for the champions.
He has also netted five times in the Champions League, taking his tally to 19 goals in 22 games across all competitions.
The Norwegian has not been involved in either of City’s last two matches, which saw them narrowly beat Luton Town 2-1 in the Premier League and then beat Red Star Belgrade 3-2 in the Champions League.
Jeremy Doku is also expected to miss the game on Saturday due to a muscle problem, while Kevin De Bruyne remains out.
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