Manchester City striker Erling Haaland is ready to make his return from injury this weekend, manager Pep Guardiola says.
Haaland had been sidelined since March after sustaining an ankle injury in his side’s FA Cup tie against Bournemouth, but returns in time to contest the final of that competition later this month.
The Norway international, 24, was an unused substitute as City boosted their Champions League hopes by beating Wolves 1-0 in the Premier League last week.
Speaking before his side’s trip to Southampton on Saturday,Guardiola said on Haaland’s availability: “He is ready, he is fit. [If he will] start, we will see tomorrow.”
City are third in the table, three points above sixth-placed Nottingham Forest, as clubs battle to earn one of the top-five positions which this season offer Champions League football.
After facing Southampton, Guardiola’s side face Crystal Palace in the FA Cup final at Wembley on 17 May, before completing their league campaign with games against Bournemouth and Fulham.
In an interview with ESPN, external this week, Haaland said City’s disappointing season after a run of four consecutive league titles was due to a loss of “hunger” in the squad.
“You can find excuses, injuries, many injuries at bad times, but in the end we haven’t been performing well enough,” Haaland said.
“We haven’t had fully the hunger inside us. I haven’t been good enough. I haven’t helped the team enough. In the end, we haven’t been good enough.”
Asked about those quotes, Guardiola said: “If it’s a feeling for Erling, the players should talk to each other and ask themselves why.”
Haaland has 21 goals in 28 Premier League appearances this season – the only City player to reach double figures in the competition this term.
He has 30 goals in 40 games in all competitions in 2024-25, also contributing four assists.
Having won the Premier League’s Golden Boot award in each of the past two seasons since his move to England, he is seven goals behind Liverpool’s top scorer Mohamed Salah with only three games remaining.
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