Haaland trains ahead of Man City’s UCL tie

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  • Post published:November 7, 2023

Manchester City has revealed that striker Erling Haaland has returned to training ahead of their Champions League clash with Young Boys on Tuesday.

The dangerous Norwegian striker twisted his ankle against Bournemouth over the weekend and might not be able to play in the Group G match at the Etihad Stadium.

This season, Haaland has scored 13 goals. During a training session open to the media on Monday afternoon, he didn’t seem to be in any pain.

Manager Pep Guardiola had earlier said that the 23-year-old would have plenty of chances to show that he was fit, and that the trip to Chelsea on Sunday would not change his mind.

“Yesterday he told me he felt much better than the day of the game but I don’t know,” Guardiola told a press conference.

“I will listen to the doctors and himself. If he says he is ready and does not have pain I will consider to let him to play because from Tuesday to Sunday there’s a lot of days to recover.”

After winning their first three games in the competition, City can make sure they are in the round of 16 of the Champions League by beating the Swiss champions a second time. They beat them 3-1 in Bern last month.

“Tomorrow we have to try to do it, to finish it,” Guardiola said. “There will be more opportunities, but we have the chance to finish and qualify for February, for the next stage, and it means a lot for the club.

“Being there is a success and every time we qualify is really good.”

If they could get to the next round as soon as possible, Guardiola might be able to rotate his team and focus on the Premier League games against Liverpool and Tottenham, which come right after their next European game on November 28 against RB Leipzig.

But Guardiola said there would be no letting up until the group’s top spot was confirmed.

“We are not (definitely) first,” he said. “To try to be first, to have the chance to play the second game (of the last-16 tie) at home, that definitely is better.”