ERLING HAALAND has not been included in Manchester City’s squad to face Liverpool.
The striker is the club’s top scorer this season with 27 goals in 35 games across all competitions this season.
GettyErling Haaland is missing from Man City’s squad to face Liverpool[/caption]
However, Pep Guardiola has been sweating over the fitness of his talisman since he fell to the floor awkwardly holding his knee following an awkward landing against Newcastle last week.
The 24-year-old was named on the bench for City’s mid-week 3-1 defeat to Real Madrid in the Champions League knockout play-offs, but failed to make it on to the pitch.
Guardiola told reporters in his Friday press conference that a decision was yet to be made about his participation against the league leaders.
The Spaniard had said: “I don’t know yet. Tomorrow [Saturday] we will know.”
But it has now been confirmed that Haaland will miss today’s Etihad clash after he was missing from the Cityzens matchday squad.
Speaking ahead of the game against Liverpool, Guardiola said: “Yesterday after training he didn’t feel good.
“During these nine years we played many seasons without really important players and we survived.
“This season, we have had a lot of injuries and we could not survive, but in specific games we have to do it.”
It is the first time he has not been named in a squad since the fourth round of the FA Cup against Leyton Orient earlier this month, and the first time it has happened in a league game since April 2024 when he missed a 4-0 win over Brighton.
New £59million signing Omar Marmoush was chosen to spearhead City’s attack against Liverpool.
Haaland’s absence from the pitch in midweek had seen ex-Liverpool defender Jamie Carragher joke he was suffering with “Rudigeritis” while working as a pundit on CBS Sports.
When asked about the comments, Guardiola said: “Oh, God. Did he say that? Jamie Carragher said that? Oh God. Don’t laugh. I don’t know why he makes that suspicious, you know that?
“Did he say that Haaland didn’t want to play the game? It’s not nice — and it’s not true.
“He was crazy to play the game but had a problem with his knee and could not play.”
Carragher responded on social media by clarifying the comment was a joke made at the expense of fellow pundit and ex-Man City star Micah Richards.
During Sky Sports Super Sunday broadcast, Carragher was asked again about the comments.
The 47-year-old said while smirking: “Listen that illness may have carried over and could be Van Dijkitis.”
After a few jokes among the panel, including presenter David Jones, Richards, Daniel Sturridge and Roy Keane, Carragher added: “Listen there’s no doubt, I think I said in this fixture at Anfield, I think [Virgil] Van Dijk has the edge in terms of being slightly better in his position than Haaland is.
“But that is a brilliant match up.”
Haaland has scored just one goal against Liverpool in the Premier League from four matches, while his overall record against the Reds stands at three goals in eight games.
City have beaten Liverpool just once when Haaland has played, while picking up two draws and five defeats.
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