Guardiola plays down Haaland injury concerns

MANCHESTER, England — Pep Guardiola has played down fears around Erling Haaland‘s fitness and hinted the Manchester City striker will be ready to face Chelsea on Sunday.

Haaland was substituted at half-time in the 6-1 win over Bournemouth on Saturday because of an ankle problem and is a doubt to face Young Boys in the Champions League on Tuesday. City have important Premier League games against Chelsea and Liverpool either side of the international break and Guardiola suggested Haaland should be available.

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“Yesterday [Sunday] he told me he feels much better than on the day of the game but I don’t know,” Guardiola told a news conference on Monday. “I will listen to the doctors. If he says he is ready and does not have pain I will consider him to play [against Young Boys].

“Right now if Erling can’t play, Julián [Álvarez] will play there. Julian is quite good! I like him arriving as a striker and he can play both so we’re really pleased.”

Victory over Young Boys would guarantee City a place in the knockout phase of the Champions League for the 11th straight season. The reigning champions of Europe have reached at least the semifinals in each of the last three seasons, and Guardiola hailed the consistency of his team over a period which has seen every other major English club miss out on the competition altogether at least once.

“It’s incredible,” he said. “We want to have the chance to finish before February, for the next stage. It means a lot coming after [Roberto] Mancini and [Manuel] Pellegrini [Guardiola’s predecessors at City.] Being there is a success and every time we qualify is really good. Hopefully we can finish the job.”

Teenager Rico Lewis could start for the third Champions League game in a row after impressing against RB Leipzig and the away trip to Young Boys. The 18-year-old made his 30th senior appearance against Bournemouth but has admitted that when he was first brought into the squad he felt in awe of the superstars in the dressing room.

“At first it’s difficult,” said Lewis. “You get starstruck. From watching them on TV to being sat next to them. You speak to them and they’re normal people. They’re good to me. It’s a good transition from someone watching on TV to someone I can speak to.”