Manchester City forward Erling Haaland is expected to return to match involvement this weekend, according to head coach Pep Guardiola. The Norwegian attacker has been recovering since March, when he suffered damage to his ankle during an FA Cup encounter with Bournemouth.
Although Haaland was on the bench and not called upon during City’s narrow victory over Wolverhampton Wanderers last week, his manager confirmed ahead of the Saturday clash against Southampton that the player is now in condition to feature. “He’s available and in shape,” Guardiola stated, though he withheld confirmation on whether the striker would be in the starting lineup.
City currently sits in third place in the Premier League standings, maintaining a three-point cushion over Nottingham Forest, who are in sixth. The top five positions this season grant entry into the Champions League.
Upcoming fixtures and key matches
Manchester City’s upcoming schedule includes a vital domestic cup final and crucial league fixtures. Following their trip to Southampton, the team will head to Wembley on 17 May for the FA Cup final against Crystal Palace. Their Premier League campaign concludes with matches against Fulham and Bournemouth.
The club aims to end the season on a high after falling short of expectations. With Champions League qualification still up for grabs, Guardiola’s squad must stay focused during the final stretch.
Haaland reflects on team’s form and his own performance
In a recent conversation with ESPN, Haaland discussed the team’s decline after securing four consecutive league titles. He pointed to a lack of drive within the group as a major reason for their struggles. While acknowledging injuries played a role, he emphasized that the overall level of performance was insufficient.
Haaland also criticized his own impact, saying he didn’t contribute enough to help the side succeed. Guardiola responded to these remarks by suggesting that if this sentiment exists, it should be addressed internally among the players.
This season, the 24-year-old has netted 21 times in the league and is the only member of the squad to reach double digits in that competition. Across all matches in the current campaign, he has scored 30 goals and provided four assists. Despite this, he trails Liverpool’s Mohamed Salah by seven goals in the race for the Golden Boot, with only three league games remaining.
