Guardiola confirmed that Haaland is still out

Erling Haaland will also not be able to play in the Premier League match corresponding to matchday 21 against Newcastle United. The Norwegian will skip the ninth game of the season. At Manchester City, it is clear to them that it is not worth forcing their star at this point of the season, as February is when the Champions League returns and the titles are decided.

Pep Guardiola confirmed this in a press conference, while highlighting the fact that once the match at St James Park is over they will have 13 days to prepare for the next match, against Tottenham in the FA Cup. A few days that will suit them well to regain strength and players. That game or the next one in the Premier League, at home and against Burnley, could be the goalscorer’s return. The stress injury he suffered in his leg was so painful that he is continuing his comeback.

De Bruyne could be a starter

The Belgian already had a few minutes in the victory against Huddersfield (5-0) and after a week of good training he is ready to return to the eleven, according to Pep. ”Kevin trained hard, he played a little bit yesterday and felt good. From what I saw, I am confident. “He is improving and will have a few days off after the game and will be able to train in Abu Dhabi and get in good shape.”

Furthermore, Guardiola is very optimistic about his team’s chances of retaining the Premier title. That would be the fourth in a row. ”Right now, we have options. How many points are left? 18 or 19 games? We are only five points behind. Statistically, this is possible. We want to create a dynasty, leave a legacy. Is it realistic? It’s so far away that I don’t know. We haven’t had time to recover mentally after winning the treble, but I think the Club World Cup helped us find the shine, find the spark. This season we have already won two titles. “At the moment, Liverpool are playing in an incredible way, they are back to their best football in recent years.”