Pep Guardiola disclosed that Erling Haaland might miss Manchester City’s FA Cup semi-final against Chelsea due to an injury sustained during the Champions League match against Real Madrid. Haaland asked to be substituted before extra time, and Guardiola confirmed the injury without specifying its nature or Haaland’s potential recovery timeline for the upcoming game.
“We will see. It was a tough game, a lot of action, high intensity for both sides,” Guardiola told reporters on Friday.
Guardiola
“Erling felt something, a muscular issue. That’s why he told me he could not continue.
“The doctor said he had a little bit of niggles, a little problem, we will see how his evolution is in the next hours.”
Guardiola is concerned about Haaland’s fitness, but De Bruyne is expected to play against Chelsea despite fatigue. Guardiola acknowledges that players may be tired due to City’s busy schedule.
- “It’s normal with the amount of games we are playing this season and the previous seasons and not much recovery, and extra time and high intensity.
- “We put a lot of pressure on our game and that’s why the fatigue is there. They are human beings. They are not machines. We are used to it,” he said.
Manchester City’s defeat in a shoot-out against Real Madrid dashed their hopes of a treble. Despite this setback, they aim to bounce back and focus on securing a domestic double under Guardiola’s leadership.
“We don’t have another option. I don’t want us to feel sorry for ourselves.
“In football, you lose games. We performed at our best and we were not able to win. You have to accept it.
“We did everything. We know it, they know it, all the world knows it, but it was not enough. When it’s not enough, it’s a bad night. So congratulations (to Real) and, tomorrow, FA Cup,” he said.
AFP
