Pep Guardiola has delivered an update on Erling Haaland’s fitness ahead of Manchester City’s Premier League match against Newcastle.
The Norwegian striker came off at half-time as City beat Fulham 3-0 earlier this month, later confirming he was dealing with a niggle.
Haaland then missed last weekend’s FA Cup defeat of Salford City. Guardiola said pre-match that the player’s injury was minor, suggesting his omission was precautionary.
He has returned to training this week, though, and Guardiola has confirmed he is fit and available to face Newcastle.
Asked whether Haaland was fit, Guardiola simply nodded, offering no further detail.
Haaland is not Guardiola’s only fitness worry ahead of the Newcastle clash, with wingers Jeremy Doku and Savinho both dealing with injuries of their own.
Doku suffered a calf injury while facing Galatasaray in January, while Savinho is set to return from a quad issue.
Pressed for an update on their condition, Guardiola added: “Doku is not ready, Savinho is ready.”
Guardiola continued, explaining he thought his players would have benefited from having a week off: “It's important the players are revitalised, we've had a few days off.
“The players are really good. They trained good in the past few days.”
Injuries to Doku and Savinho have limited Guardiola’s attacking options somewhat, but he added cover to his squad in January with the signing of Antoine Semenyo, who has hit the ground running at the Etihad with four goals in his first five matches.
The Spaniard hailed him as an elite player: “It's not just about scoring a lot of goals, the players who play up front are so important. Versatility to play many positions up front and in the three. Bournemouth are exceptional in the rhythm and he has it in his DNA. His impact has been really good.
