Erling Haaland’s recovery from a lingering foot injury is still ongoing, keeping him sidelined since his last appearance against Aston Villa on December 6, as revealed by Pep Guardiola.
Despite accompanying the squad for their Club World Cup triumph and participating in individual fitness sessions in Saudi Arabia, the 23-year-old Norwegian striker, with 19 goals this season, remains unfit for a return.
On a positive note for the Premier League champions, Kevin De Bruyne is set to start in the upcoming match against Newcastle on Saturday. De Bruyne, who made his much-anticipated return as a second-half substitute in the FA Cup third-round victory over Huddersfield last weekend, had been sidelined since aggravating a hamstring injury in City’s first Premier League game of the season at Burnley in August.
City is also optimistic about having England winger Jack Grealish back in action after recovering from illness, although defender John Stones is not yet ready to return from an ankle injury.
Guardiola, addressing the team’s current status, stated, “Jack has been sick. Hopefully today he’s back. Erling is out, and John is out.”
With City trailing Premier League leaders Liverpool by five points, the visit to St James’ Park holds significant importance. A victory could narrow the gap to two points, while a defeat would be a setback in their pursuit of an unprecedented fourth successive title.
Regarding De Bruyne’s potential starting role, Guardiola expressed confidence in the midfielder’s progress, saying, “Yes. What I saw yesterday, he looks really good and dynamic. The minutes he played were really good, better than the training sessions before the Huddersfield game when he was a little bit not what he is.”
As City aims to navigate a crucial moment in the season, the availability of key players like De Bruyne and Grealish becomes paramount in their pursuit of success.
Source: AFP
