Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola said he could not confirm whether Erling Haaland would be fit for their upcoming match in the Premier League.
Guardiola was speaking at the pre-match press conference ahead of their Premier League match against Leicester City.
The Man City manager had earlier confirmed Haaland had picked up a knock on his foot during their Champions League match against Borussia Dortmund. Haaland was taken off at half-time in that game, which ended in a goalless draw.
Guardiola cited three reasons why he replaced Haaland with Bernardo Silva at the start of the second half vs Dortmund. The Man City manager said he saw Haaland tired and the Norwegian had a fever and that he suffered a knock on his foot during the game.
Pep Guardiola Provides Fitness Update on Erling Haaland
Guardiola has now issued a fitness update on Haaland, stating he feels better. But he did not confirm whether Haaland would be fit in time for their match against Leicester City.
Guardiola said Haaland would train with the squad in the afternoon and they would decide after assessing how the 22-year-old feels.
“He feels better but we will train this afternoon and we will assess in a few hours,” Guardiola said. “We will see how he is feeling and then we will decide.”
Haaland had arrived at the Manchester Institute of Health & Performance on Wednesday to undergo tests on his foots. Daily Star reported that although the Norwegian was spotted limping, he was cleared of serious damage to his foot.
Meanwhile, Man City signed Haaland in the summer transfer window. The Premier League champions landed the highly-rated attacker from Borussia Dortmund.
Haaland instantly hit the ground running at his new club and has been sensational for Guardiola’s men. The Norway international has already racked up 22 goals for Man City across all competitions.
He has scored 17 goals for City in the Premier League so far this season. He tops the goalscoring chart in Premier League and is seven goals ahead of second-placed Harry Kane. Haaland’s 17 goals include three hat-tricks – scored against Crystal Palace, Nottingham Forest and Manchester United.
Haaland has also contributed five goals in the Champions League, where he has made four appearances for City so far this season.
Meanwhile, Man City sit second in the Premier League points table with 26 points from 11 matches. They are two points short of table-toppers Arsenal.
