Man City boss Pep Guardiola hopeful Erling Haaland will be fit for Burnley clash
By Eleanor Crooks, PA Sport Correspondent
Pep Guardiola is hopeful Erling Haaland will be fit for Saturday’s Premier League clash with Burnley.
The striker was substituted during Manchester City’s draw against Arsenal at the weekend, with Guardiola revealing afterwards that he was suffering from back pain.
But the City boss does not appear to be too concerned about his in-form front man, saying: “Recovery yesterday, he didn’t train. Today I didn’t see him and the rest of the players yet. But hopefully he can be (fit) for the next weekend.
“It’s been a so, so demanding week, the last game especially, and sometimes the players have problems. But I think he will be fine next weekend, I hope so.”
Arsenal dominated proceedings at the Emirates Stadium, eventually clinching a deserved point in injury time after City had looked like they would hold on to the advantage given to them by Haaland’s early opener.
It was not the type of performance usually associated with Guardiola’s side, and the Spaniard afterwards cited a demanding week and fatigue among his players.
City sit only ninth in the table and are already eight points behind leaders Liverpool, but Guardiola believes they are heading in the right direction and are showing significant improvement following last season’s struggles.
“I’m really proud of this fight,” he said. “We recover many, many things that last season we were missing. We have an incredible spirit.
“Of course, we cannot sustain for all the season to play in the way we played. We don’t want it but I give credit to the opponents. Arsenal most of the games is able to do that to the other opponents.
“I want to learn to celebrate when we draw. Always I ask one thing since I start my managerial career is to give everything on the pitch. And last season we didn’t do it in some moments of the season.
“This season, especially since (the win over Manchester) United, we start to recover many things that define our teams for many, many years.
“I cannot care less the fact that we can do better – we’ll do it. We could do better decisions – we’ll do it. We have to play a little bit more with the ball – we will do it, but first comes the spirit that we have shown this week.
“You have to take care of these kind of things like a father, a mother takes care of his sons. The team will grow up.”
City’s busy schedule continues with a trip to Huddersfield on Wednesday night in the third round of the Carabao Cup.
Guardiola is limited in the changes he can make because of injuries to the likes of Rayan Cherki, Rayan Ait-Nouri and Omar Marmoush, while Abdukodir Khusanov was forced off at half-time against Arsenal.
“The only problem we have in the Carabao Cup right now – I said many times we respect this competition, otherwise we would not win four times in a row – is arriving with no injuries, and unfortunately we have injuries,” said Guardiola.
“It will be a mix of the first team and the academy players to play tomorrow because the priority is Burnley, Monaco and Brentford.”
