Will Injured Erling Haaland Play in the FIFA Club World Cup? Pep Guardiola Provides Confusing Update

The injury of Erling Haaland is growing to be a worrying topic for Manchester City fans, especially with the FIFA Club World Cup slowly approaching. The availability of the Norwegian star for the tournament is still in question following a foot injury. Unfortunately, it seems like manager Pep Guardiola is unsure about it, as he gave a not-so-promising update.

Haaland initially suffered the foot injury in November that resurfaced ahead of their match against Luton Town. There was hope that he would be back in action by Thursday, as confirmed by Guardiola in a previous interview. However, that deadline has come and gone, and now even the 52-year-old himself seems uncertain about the situation.

Pep Guardiola ‘not worried’ about Erling Haaland’s injury

Notably, Guardiola discussed Haaland’s injury situation ahead of the Premier League match against Crystal Palace. The Spanish manager stated, “He arrives today, and we’ll see. The doctors will see him, and they’ll see how he feels.” He also shed some light on the nature of the injury, saying, “I’m not worried. Not fractured. Just stress.”

Pep Guardiola further addressed Haaland’s potential return, saying, “Hopefully Erling can travel to Saudi. Tomorrow, after the game, we will see if he plays the first game or second at the World Cup.” This statement underscores Pep’s ambivalence regarding the 23-year-old’s playing time in the tournament.

The manager himself is unsure about the extent of the injury and the timeline for the striker’s recovery. With the Club World Cup semi-final set to take place on December 19th, time is running out for Haaland and The Sky Blues. His potential return becomes even more crucial considering Manchester City facing another significant setback with Kevin De Bruyne‘s injury.

What is the update on Kevin De Bruyne’s injury?

Unlike Erling Haaland, Kevin De Bruyne has been sidelined since August due to a hamstring injury. He underwent surgery in November, and just last week, Pep Guardiola shared a promising update. He revealed that the Belgian has started training on the field.

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However, caution has been advised not to rush his return, and it is highly unlikely that he will participate in the upcoming Club World Cup. It would not be an overstatement to say that without Erling Haaland and Kevin De Bruyne, Manchester City may face considerable challenges in the Club World Cup.

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What are your thoughts on this? Let us know in the comments.