Manager Pep Guardiola says Manchester City is sweating on striker Erling Haaland’s fitness for their Premier League visit to Tottenham Hotspur on Wednesday.
With 27 goals this season in all competitions, Erling Haaland suffered a knee injury in City’s 4-0 victory over Newcastle on February 15 and was not named for Sunday’s 2-0 loss at home to Liverpool, therefore leaving City fourth on 44 points. “Tonight we will know after training,” Guardiola told reporters on Tuesday of Haaland’s odds of playing against Spurs. “I wish so, but right now we are not sure. He feels better; nevertheless, we will see tomorrow.
Having dropped out of the Champions League with a heartbreaking 6-3 aggregate loss to Real Madrid, Manchester City won the league for the last four seasons but has failed to excite in this one.
Although Manchester City signed Omar Marmoush, Nico Gonzalez, Abdukodir Khusanov, Viter Reis, and Juma Bah for nearly $224 million in the January window, those players have not yet righted the ship.
Given he has rebuilt City multiple times in the past nine years, Guardiola claimed rebuilding the team would not be the toughest obstacle of his career despite their difficulties.
“We have twice or three times already done it. It is not the toughest obstacle,” he remarked. “The difficulty I encountered was beginning my managerial path with my team. I proved myself, and my staff members proved we could do it.”
Rico Lewis, an academy graduate who regularly starts at right back for the team since Kyle Walker left AC Milan, also received compliments from the Spanish manager.
“He has been quite outstanding since joining the first team. Though he is not a great defender, he is quite good. Pep Guardiola remarked, “He is so clever and intelligent.”
“His physicality is not like a usual defender in this country but he is really good, especially with the ball.”
