Manchester City have confirmed the full extent of the injury Erling Haaland suffered during Sunday's FA Cup quarter-final victory over Bournemouth.
Pep Guardiola's side came from behind to win 2-1 after Evanilson put the Cherries in front at the Vitality Stadium, with goals from Haaland and Omar Marmoush.
But the win was soured slightly by an apparent ankle injury suffered by Haaland in the second half.
The Norwegian was pictured on crutches and wearing a protective boot following the win, though there was no indication of the seriousness of the problem at that point.
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City have now confirmed that Haaland has suffered a left ankle injury, with the 24-year-old set to see a specialist to confirm the full prognosis.
City state that they 'expect' Haaland to return before the end of the 2024/25 season, but have not confirmed a specific return date.
The statement reads: "Erling underwent initial tests in Manchester on Monday morning and will now seek specialist consultation to confirm the full extent of the injury. Assessment remains ongoing to ascertain a full prognosis.
"The expectation is that Erling will be fit in time to play a further part in the remainder of this season, including this summer's FIFA Club World Cup."
The injury could be a crucial blow for City as they battle to finish in the top four - or five, dependent on the outcome UEFA's co-efficient qualification ranking - places of the Premier League to ensure that they can play Champions League football next season.
Guardiola's side are already out of Europe after a defeat to Real Madrid in the play-off stage, meaning they can focus on domestic competitions for the rest of the season.
City currently occupy fifth position but are only four points ahead of Bournemouth, who sit in 10th position.
Newcastle, a point behind in sixth place, also have a game in hand after they won the Carabao Cup final against Liverpool prior to the most recent international break.
Topics: Manchester City, Erling Haaland, Premier League, FA Cup, Injury
Ryan Smart