MANCHESTER-. Erling Haaland suffered a muscle injury and will be evaluated ahead of the match Manchester City for next Saturday’s FA Cup semi-finals against Chelsea.
City coach Pep Guardiola said that the Norwegian attacker suffered discomfort during the second leg of the Champions League quarter-final against Realm Madrid last Wednesday and asked to leave the field. City were eliminated in the penalty shootout.
Guardiola indicated that Haaland would be monitored ahead of the game against Chelsea at Wembley.
“We’ll see. It was a complicated match, a lot of action, a lot of intensity from both teams,” Guardiola said at a press conference on Friday. “Erling felt something, a muscular issue. That’s why he told me that he couldn’t continue.
“The (doctor) indicated that he had some complaints, a small problem, we will see how it evolves in the next few hours.”
Haaland missed more than a month between December and January due to foot discomfort. Kevin De Bruyne also came off the bench against Madrid but is scheduled to play against Chelsea after Guardiola confirmed that the Belgian team “feels good.”
“We put a lot of pressure with our style of play and that is why there is fatigue. They are human beings, not machines. “We are used to this,” said the Spaniard.
The elimination against Real Madrid put an end to City’s aspirations of achieving trebles in consecutive seasons, after winning the Premier League, the Champions League and the FA Cup last year.
City can still write history this season by becoming the first team to win the league title in England in four consecutive years.
Source: AP
