Manchester City have been battling some significant injury troubles across the team, with Pep Guardiola giving an update on Erling Haaland’s fitness situation after the Fulham game
The Premier League title race is heating up, as Manchester City applied pressure on Arsenal once again by picking up an important win in midweek action.
A first-half blitz from Pep Guardiola’s men saw them defeat Fulham, as goals from Antoine Semenyo, Nico O’Reilly, and Erling Haaland handed them victory at the Etihad Stadium.
With the gap at the top now down to just three points, it’s up to City’s title rivals Arsenal to respond, as they are in action on Thursday against an in-form Brentford side.
In the meantime, Guardiola will be keen to rally his troops once more, hopeful of avoiding injuries at a key time of the season when they can start to crank up the pressure on their rivals for the Premier League crown.
So, with that said, here’s a look at the latest City injury news, including an update on Haaland after the Fulham victory.
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Erling Haaland
City fans were left nervous over Haaland’s fitness after the goalscorer was substituted at half-time during his side’s win over Fulham.
Fortunately, Guardiola downplayed the issue after the match, as he told reporters: “Niggles. Some problems, he didn’t feel comfortable, it was 3-0.
“The reason why is too many games. Fatigue. He said ‘I don’t feel comfortable’. With 3-0 and with a lot of games and with having Omar [Marmoush], common sense.”
As a result, it’s unclear whether Haaland will feature against Salford in the FA Cup fourth round on Saturday, before City turn back to Premier League action against Newcastle the following weekend.
John Stones
After a spell out of the team through injury, John Stones finally made his return to the City squad again in midweek, featuring on the bench.
The defender was an unused substitute, while he could make an appearance against Salford in the FA Cup over the weekend.
Jeremy Doku
Jeremy Doku is still out through injury, having picked up a calf problem against Galatasaray in the Champions League earlier this season.
There is an expectation that he could return at some point this month, but it remains to be seen whether the recovery will meet that timeline.
Josko Gvardiol
City will be without Josko Gvardiol for the foreseeable future, with the defender picking up a tibial fracture in the clash with Chelsea.
There is hope that the Croatian international will be back at some point before the end of the season, with a few months left for him to make a return.
Savinho
Savinho has struggled to get going this season, having failed to get many minutes on the pitch with some proper momentum, as injuries continue to impact him.
The Brazilian winger was lined up for a possible return this week, but after failing to make the squad against Fulham, it’s unclear exactly when he will be available once again.
Mateo Kovacic
It’s been a tough campaign for Mateo Kovacic, who picked up an ankle problem in November, and has been unable to play for City ever since. A return seems unlikely until next month at the earliest.
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