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Erling Haaland has struggled to shake off a foot injury, but Pep Guardiola expects him to be able to play a starring role for Manchester City at Leeds United on Wednesday.
Haaland has been in sensational form this season, leading the Premier League scoring charts with 18 goals after quickly settling into English football following his arrival from Borussia Dortmund.
However, he suffered an injury against Dortmund in October and has since been dealing with the ramifications of that problem, even with the club season pausing for the World Cup.
“The injury is completely different to last season,” Guardiola said. “It was a knock in his foot in Dortmund when we played in the Champions League, and the doctor said that he has damaged his ligament in his foot.
“It’s painful, it’s not easy to recover, that’s why he struggled, but [it is a] muscular issue. Now it is much better, and now we know it is a question of time. Of course, we need him.
“I think he will be ready [for Leeds]. Day by day, he is getting better. As much as he can train, he will get his condition.”
City trail Premier League leaders Arsenal by eight points ahead of their game in hand against Leeds, with the defending champions having lost two of their previous five Premier League matches and widely considered not to have yet hit their best form.
Yet Guardiola does not expect to venture into the January transfer market in search of additions to strengthen a title charge.
“I think we are going to finish in this way,” he said.
“I don’t know what’s going to happen, but since I arrived in Abu Dhabi with the sporting director, with Txiki [Begiristain], with everyone, there wasn’t any names on the table.”
