Haaland Missing From Man City Training Ahead Of Liverpool Clash

As the Premier League returns this weekend, the Cityzens will host Jurgen Klopp’s Liverpool side, but they may be without their best man.

With the defending champions Manchester City behind Arsenal by eight points in the Premier League standings, the title race is becoming fierce. Although Guardiola’s team have a game in hand, their next match is a battle with Liverpool, and losing that game might prove very costly.

As a result, when video of the Cityzens’ training session on Thursday surfaced, it came as a major disappointment to fans as Erling Haaland was nowhere to be found on the pitch.

Will Haaland Play Against Liverpool?

The Norwegian superstar has been one of the season’s top performers, tallying 42 goals in 37 appearances across all competitions.

Yet his most recent game, a 6-0 victory against Burnley in which he scored a hat-trick, came at a cost as the former Dortmund striker injured his groin.

The 22-year-old was consequently returned home from his international duties, but there was still hope that he would be ready to play against Liverpool on Saturday. Nevertheless, that hope was diminished as the striker did not show up for training.

Another session will be held on Friday and that will be the decisive one for Man City’s top scorer.

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The club are already without Phil Foden, who has been ruled out for this tie after undergoing surgery for acute appendicitis, and will not want to lose Haaland as well.

Guardiola’s men lost the last time they crossed paths with the Merseyside giants. That game was held at Anfield, with Mohamed Salah scoring the only goal of the game.

However, the Cityzens will have the home advantage this time around and have not suffered a defeat to the Reds at the Etihad Stadium in the Premier League since November 2015. This is a must-win tie for the defending champions.

If De Bruyne and Co. lose to Liverpool, Arsenal could go 11 points clear at the top of the table — provided they beat Leeds at the Emirates Stadium, however.