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LONDON. — Manchester City fans are sweating on the fitness of goal machine Erling Haaland ahead of their key home English Premier League game against Liverpool today.
With Arsenal eight points clear of second-placed City, the champions need to take three from Jurgen Klopp’s side in the early kick-off to ensure the Gunners do not take their lead into double figures.
Arsenal, who have 10 games remaining and are chasing a first championship since 2003-04, host 14th-placed Leeds United later on today.
Norwegian striker Haaland, who has scored an astonishing 42 goals in 37 matches for City since joining from Borussia Dortmund, is nursing a groin injury and missed training on Thursday as players returned from the international break.
Haaland was set to be assessed after training late yesterday to establish if he is fit to face Liverpool today — but Phil Foden faces up to three weeks out.
Haaland, 22, pulled out of Norway’s squad with a groin injury sustained in City’s win over Burnley in the FA Cup.
Foden had appendix surgery on Sunday.
“Erling is in recovery. We’ll train and see how he feels,” said City boss Pep Guardiola, who admits he may have to gamble on the striker’s fitness.
“The doctors and, especially, the player will see how he feels. Life is risks. At this stage we have to take it.
“We have scored a lot of goals this season and he has scored an incredible amount of goals. But we’ve always scored a lot of goals since we’ve been here.”
Haaland, who joined City from Borussia Dortmund in June for £51m, has scored 42 goals in 37 games this season, including 28 in 26 Premier League games. City are eight points behind Premier League leaders Arsenal with a game in hand.
Arsenal play Liverpool at Anfield on April 9 and City at the Etihad Stadium on April 26 in a revenge clash after losing to their rivals at the Emirates in February.
“We cannot control the outcome of other clubs, all we can control is what we do every single day,” said manager Mikel Arteta.
“Now it has to be about enjoying the last part of the season, with enthusiasm, energy and a real hunger to continue to do what we’ve done, and if possible better.”
William Saliba is not expected to be involved for Arsenal against Leeds in the Premier League today as he continues recovery from a back injury.
The France international was taken off early during the Europa League meeting with Sporting on March 16 and didn’t feature in the English Premier League win over Crystal Palace last time out before the international break. The gap in the fixture list has not proved enough time for the centre-back to recover, missing training on Thursday.
With kick-off against Leeds at 4pm today, the Daily Mail report that the game will come too soon for the 22-year-old and he looks set to miss out. The injury is not thought to be very serious, with hope that Saliba could return for the trip to Anfield to take on Liverpool on April 9, although he is being monitored daily and there is no set return date yet.
With Saliba out, Rob Holding is likely to come into the team and partner Gabriel at centre-back as Takehiro Tomiyasu is out for the rest of the season with a knee problem.
Also set to miss the clash with Leeds are Mohamed Elneny and Eddie Nketiah, with the Egyptian expected to miss the rest of the campaign, but the English forward likely to be back for Liverpool.
Arsenal go into the weekend eight points clear at the top of the table, but Manchester City could have trimmed that lead by the time the Gunners take on the Yorkshire side.
City host Liverpool in the 1:30pm kick-off and can go within five points of Arteta’s men if they down the Reds.
City have a match in hand on the leaders but have played one more than third-placed Manchester United, who are at Newcastle United tomorrow and are 11 points further adrift.
Fourth-placed Tottenham Hotspur have former assistant coach Cristian Stellini in charge for their trip to struggling Everton on Monday after parting ways with Antonio Conte last Sunday.
The battle at the bottom is tighter than ever, with nine clubs separated by just four points and the weekend promises a further shake-up.
Bottom side Southampton travel to 18th-placed West Ham United tomorrow for a match at the London Stadium that neither can afford to lose while 19th-placed Bournemouth host Fulham. — AFP.
Online Reporter