Pep Guardiola downplayed concerns about Erling Haaland’s long-term fitness after the striker was unable to play in Manchester City’s 2-1 victory over Luton due to a foot injury. Guardiola is optimistic that the prolific Norwegian will recover in time for City’s first match at the Club World Cup in Saudi Arabia on December 19th.
Guardiola explained that Haaland’s issue was a “bone stress reaction,” but reassured that there were no fractures. He stated, “He was not prepared for today and I doubt he will be ready for Crystal Palace on Saturday, but hopefully he will recover in time for our match in Saudi Arabia.” Guardiola added that Haaland’s progress will be determined week by week.
The manager of the city team stated that the issue occurred during their loss to Aston Villa earlier in the week. He mentioned that the following day, the player had difficulty walking. However, after speaking with the player, he reported feeling significantly better and was able to walk without pain. The doctor advised monitoring his progress on a weekly and daily basis to determine when he will fully recover. It is unlikely that he will be ready for the next game against Crystal Palace, but it remains to be seen.
Guardiola appeared generally satisfied as his team bounced back from a 1-0 deficit at halftime to break their four-game winless streak in the Premier League. Goals from Bernardo Silva and Jack Grealish overturned Elijah Adebayo’s early lead just before the break. Guardiola, who deemed the victory as “important,” shared that he had issued a challenge to his players during halftime.
“I said to them: ‘What do we want to do, feel sorry for ourselves? It is football, it is life, it happens. Even if they score a second goal, what do you want to do, complain again and say we are unlucky?’
The success of big teams, like this one, is often determined in challenging situations. Winning a streak of 18 games does not truly define a team. Rather, they are defined by their current state – four games without a victory and a 1-0 score in a difficult stadium. This team does not need to prove their abilities to me, as they are already an exceptional group. However, the competition requires them to continuously prove themselves.
Ignore the newsletter advertisement
after newsletter promotion
The manager of Luton, Rob Edwards, expressed both pride and disappointment, feeling that the opportunity was within reach for them today.
Source: theguardian.com
