Erling Haaland did not travel to St James' Park for the FA Cup tie against Newcastle United and was left out of City's squad, according to Pep Guardiola. Guardiola said he always planned to rest Haaland for the cup clash, stating, 'I was not planning to play him. ' Guardiola insisted Haaland was never likely to feature as the Blues manage his minutes.
Haaland has a knock injury, though the exact severity is not known. He missed the Premier League win over Leeds United last weekend but featured against Nottingham Forest in midweek. Guardiola played down any suggestion that Haaland is a doubt for the Champions League trip to Real Madrid on Wednesday, with Haaland's potential return date set for that away game.
I was not planning to play him. I would prefer [him to have] good training sessions than to travel and play just 10-15 minutes.
Haaland is being managed ahead of a gruelling few weeks that includes the Carabao Cup final against Arsenal at Wembley later this month. Meanwhile, other City players are dealing with injuries. Mateo Kovacic has an ankle injury and is back in training but not yet ready to return, with a potential return date in April.
Josko Gvardiol has a leg injury and is in a race against time to be fit this season, with a potential return date in May. Rico Lewis has an ankle injury and has missed the last three matches, but Guardiola noted it is not a long-term problem.
Finally he’s back training for the last three or four training sessions. Still, his condition needs time. But the most important after second surgery in his ankle is much better than the first one. Maybe he can give us good quality until the end of the season.