Sidelined With ‘Muscular Injury’ Vs Real Madrid, Is Erling Haaland Playing Tonight For Manchester City Vs Chelsea?

Manchester City will be drawn into deep waters, as the team takes on Chelsea in the FA Cup semifinals. Pep Guardiola‘s side has been suffering with the fixture crunch, with the side coming to the field just 48 hours after their bitter defeat to Real Madrid. However, there’s ‘no rest for the wicked’ as the defending FA Cup champions look to keep their crown secure. While fans are counting on Pep Guardiola’s men to go through to the finals, the team might have to do so without the services of Erling Haaland!

Pep Guardiola provided an update on his star striker earlier tonight, with Manchester City informing the press about Haaland’s muscular injury. The striker reportedly picked up the knock during the Champions League clash against Real Madrid and will have to be assessed before he is allowed to take to the field against Chelsea.

Guardiola stated, “Erling [Haaland] felt something, muscular issue, that’s why he asked to come off [against Real Madrid]. It’s normal that players have problems with so many high-intensity games. They are human beings.”

With the striker more than likely to remain on the bench, Pep Guardiola could provide the opportunity to Julian Alvarez, with the Argentine striker looking to make his mark for Manchester City.

How will Manchester City lineup in Erling Haaland’s absence?

While the star striker’s unavailability could be a big blow for Pep Guardiola’s side, the team has ample names to fill in his shoes. Argentine star Julian Alvarez has done well with the opportunities he has received with the first team this season. Alvarez could be used as Haaland’s replacement in the game with Pep Guardiola, making some minor tweaks to his team.

Apart from Erling Haaland, the team could be without the services of Kevin De Bruyne, Manuel Akanji, and Kyle Walker, as the three put on a tiresome shift against Madrid. Goalkeeper Ederson could also be provided a rest, with Stefan Ortega filing for the job between the posts. The team management could provide the three with some much-needed rest ahead of the hectic Premier League schedule. It will be interesting to see what lineup Pep Guardiola fields with the team looking to defend their FA Cup title.

With a lot on their plate, do you think Manchester City has what it takes to defend the FA Cup and Premier League titles after losing out on the coveted Champions League title? Let us know in the comments below.