Is Erling Haaland Playing Tonight For Manchester City Vs Brighton?

Manchester City is pushed to work hard this season. The club has been knocked out of the UEFA Champions League, leaving their primary focus on the Premier League. But their crucial player, Erling Haaland, who returned in February after being sidelined for two months, has once again ignited concerns about his availability. As the season arrived at a crucial juncture, the Norwegian was absent against Chelsea in the FA Cup tie. However, the bigger picture remains if he will play tonight against Brighton & Hove Albion in the league owing to his recent issues.

Manager Pep Guardiola is having some serious concerns with the players’ availability. After a stormy season last time, the treble-winning stars already looked exhausted. And with Haaland scoring a mammoth 83 goals, he may need some rest. And the latest reports reveal that the player will miss the game at American Express Stadium. The fans were surprised to hear about Haaland and his teammate Phil Foden missing yesterday’s training session at Etihad.

Meanwhile, Guardiola had already expressed his concern, even before the FA Cup fixture, saying, ‘I don’t know,’ whether Haaland would play versus the Seagulls. First, reports suggested that the player missed the Chelsea game because of a muscular issue. And even though it is not severe, Pep is clear about not being willing to risk his players, stating, “He’s injured. I don’t think it’s much, but he’s not able for today.”

Haaland’s issues were evident from their CL game against Madrid. The 23-year-old wanted to be substituted after 90 minutes, citing fatigue and didn’t want to go into the extra time. But will the Spanish coach risk keeping him away in such an important fixture?

How important is Haaland for Manchester City against Brighton?

Manchester City has six more games left in the Premier League and the FA Cup final. Notably, Guardiola has already expressed that the tough run of fixtures was indeed unfortunate for his players’ health. Hence, the City coach seems to preserve his best player for strenuous games. 

Despite missing many games, Erling Haaland is still the top scorer for the Sky Blues with 20 league goals and five assists this season. Nevertheless, despite his absence, the team has not lost a single league supporting Pep’s decision.

However, the club will need his services for the rest of the games. City will play Tottenham at their den, and some challenging fixtures would need his goal-scoring prowess. Chasing Arsenal and Liverpool with two games in hand, every game becomes a must-win for the current holders. But will the English giants achieve a four-peat this season? Let us know in the comments.