January 25, (THEWILL) Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has confirmed that the star striker Erling Haaland, will miss Friday’s FA Cup fourth-round clash with Tottenham Hotspur due to a foot injury. Speaking at a press conference, on Thursday, Guardiola stated that while Haaland is “close” to a return, he is not yet 100% fit.
The Norwegian goal machine has been sidelined for City’s last nine games across all competitions. While he will be missed by the England Premier League champions, as they look to progress in the FA Cup, they have numbers to depend on.
Guardiola provided some positive injury news in line with this, confirming that defender John Stones and goalkeeper Ederson are available for selection. There was also an update on midfielder Kalvin Phillips, who appears likely to complete a six-month loan move to West Ham United.
Guardiola explained, “he travelled yesterday to do a medical test, but probably it is going to be a loan for six months”. This comes after Phillips has struggled for game time during an injury-hit first season at the Etihad Stadium.
In other news, Guardiola bid farewell to outgoing Director of Football Operations Omar Berrada, who has left City Football Group to become CEO at rivals Manchester United. Guardiola stated “He has been an important person for the organisation. But, he decided for himself to leave and the club will move forward.”
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Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
