Erling Haaland remains sidelined for Manchester City - but Pep Guardiola is hoping to have him available to face Fulham on Saturday.
Haaland came off at half-time during City's 0-0 Champions League draw with Borussia Dortmund last week with a foot injury and missed the 1-0 win at Leicester at the weekend. City boss Guardiola confirmed Haaland, who has 22 goals in 15 games since his £51million move from Dortmund in the summer, will not be involved against Sevilla tomorrow.
Guardiola said it was not worth risking Haaland in a dead rubber, with City already through to the knockout stage as Group G winners, irrespective of tomorrow's result. "For tomorrow, Erling is not available," said Guardiola.
"He feels better. Compared to Saturday, Sunday to Monday, he feels better but he's still not 100 per cent. "There's no point risking him, but hopefully we can have him back against Fulham on Saturday."
Haaland's absence means a likely start tomorrow for Julian Alvarez, a summer signing from River Plate, who has had to be patient for game-time, given his fellow forward's goalscoring heroics.
"First and foremost, it’s a privilege playing with him and it's always great to play alongside the best in the world," said Alvarez. "I've played with him and without him and I think we can learn from each other, both ways. I like how he always wants to bring the best to the team."
Asked if Haaland's formidable goal record put extra pressure on him, Alvarez said: "We’re very different players but people have to adapt to different types of play and different styles when players line up.
"I like to occupy different positions on the pitch. In River I had other players who were big goalscorers, so the same thing happened. I'm used to these types of situations, but I trust in myself and in my own ability and know the other players trust me as well. It’s important that however way we can, we win."
Reflecting on his lack of regular game-time this season, Alvarez said: "Yes, that's how things are, you have to accept it. Places I played before, there haven’t been many of them, but at River Plate I had times when I wasn’t playing as regularly and in the national team I don’t play all the time.
"But I try and train as hard as I can, so I’m ready and able to help the team with my qualities, technique and style and hopefully do what the coaches ask of me."
Looking ahead to the World Cup, Alvarez said: "We know about the World Cup because there is coverage all over the place about it coming up. We know it's a short time away but there's lots to do here, we know what we have to do here on a daily basis at CIty.
"There will be plenty of time to think about the World Cup once we get together with the national team."
