Erling Haaland is set to break all kinds of single season scoring records this term, and we’ve chronicled that over at this link. There is only one thing that can stop him from reaching these milestones- injury.
Pep Guardiola confirmed that the big Norwegian suffered a knock last night, as he left his side’s goalless draw against his former club, Borussia Dortmund, at halftime.
Manchester City at Leicester City FYIs
Kick-off time: 12:30 PM GMT, 29th October 2022
Manchester City Starting XI Prediction: go here
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Premier League Form Guide: Man City WLWWW Leicester WWDLW
Premier League Position: Man City 2nd, 26 pts Leicester 17th, 11 pts
Google Result Probability: Man City 76% Leicester 9% Draw 15%
“There were three things,” Guardiola said after the 0-0 draw at BVB when a reporter asked why he subbed Haaland.
“Firstly, I saw him so tired. The second one [was] he had a bit of a fever, like Joao Cancelo. The third, he had a knock on his foot.
“That’s why he wasn’t able to play in the second half.”
Asked about the severity of his issue, and a potential timeline for return, Guardiola responded:
“I don’t know right now [The medical staff] were a little bit concerned at half-time, but I saw him walking okay at the end, so we’ll have to see.”
So it sounds like he’s going to be fine and may even be available for selection when City visits Leicester on Saturday.
Rest of the Team News for Both Sides
Kyle Walker and John Stones remain out of commission for City, and that completes their list of fitness concerns. Flipping over to Leicester, Ricardo Pereira and Ryan Bertrand remain out but Jonny Evans and Wilfred Ndidi are moving closer towards their return to action.
Paul M. Banks is the owner/manager of The Sports Bank and author of “Transatlantic Passage: How the English Premier League Redefined Soccer in America,” as well as “No, I Can’t Get You Free Tickets: Lessons Learned From a Life in the Sports Media Industry.”
He has regularly appeared in WGN, Sports Illustrated and the Chicago Tribune, and he co-hosts the After Extra Time podcast, part of Edge of the Crowd Network. Follow him and the website on Twitter and Instagram.