Haaland remains doubtful for Man City’s crucial Liverpool clash

Manchester City’s star striker Erling Haaland remains uncertain for Sunday’s pivotal Premier League encounter against league leaders Liverpool, manager Pep Guardiola confirmed on Saturday.

Haaland was named on the bench during City’s UEFA Champions League quarter-final second-leg defeat against Real Madrid on Wednesday but did not feature in the game. The English champions were outclassed 3-1 at the Santiago Bernabeu, crashing out 6-3 on aggregate.

"Tomorrow we will know," Guardiola said during his pre-match press conference, offering little clarity on whether the Norwegian forward would be fit in time for the high-stakes fixture.

City’s January signing, Omar Marmoush, provides an alternative should Haaland fail to recover. However, Guardiola acknowledged the immense value of his top scorer, who has netted 27 goals this season.

"It's better to have Erling on the pitch than not," he said. "Of course, with Erling, we are stronger."

Title race and City’s struggles

The upcoming clash marks another chapter in the rivalry between City and Liverpool, which defined an era under Guardiola and former Reds boss Jurgen Klopp. However, Klopp’s successor, Arne Slot, has seamlessly taken over, with Liverpool on course for the title in his debut season.

"For me, it's an exceptional team," Guardiola remarked. "I have said many times, they have been the biggest rival in my tenure here. Arsenal right now in the last years have been involved as well, but I could not expect differently that Liverpool (would) be in the position that they are."

Liverpool currently hold an eight-point lead over second-placed Arsenal, who have a game in hand and are expected to cut the gap to five when they host West Ham on Saturday.

City, on the other hand, find themselves fourth in the table, 17 points adrift of Liverpool, effectively ruling them out of the title race after winning four consecutive league trophies.

Injury concerns and fixture congestion

A spate of injuries has hampered City’s campaign, with key players sidelined at a crucial stage of the season.

John Stones, who limped off early in Madrid with a thigh tear, is set to miss at least two months. Additionally, Guardiola hinted that Rodri and Manuel Akanji may not feature again this season.

He attributed the injury crisis to an unrelenting schedule, pointing out that Arsenal, Real Madrid, and Tottenham have also struggled with muscle injuries.

City's season is set to extend into mid-July due to their participation in the FIFA Club World Cup, leaving them with little recovery time before the 2024-25 Premier League season kicks off barely a month later.

Guardiola expressed concerns about the congested calendar affecting his squad’s ability to bounce back.

"It could be a repeat situation next season, which might hinder our hopes of competing for major honours," he warned.