Pep Guardiola offers fresh Erling Haaland update amid absence from FA Cup tie with Chelsea

Pep Guardiola has offered a fresh update on Erling Haaland after the Norwegian was omitted from Manchester City’s squad to face Chelsea in the FA Cup.

Haaland wasn’t in the squad for City’s FA Cup semi-final against Chelsea on Saturday, having days earlier, asked to be substituted during an agonising Champions League quarter-final defeat by Real Madrid.

In his pre-match press conference, Guardiola confirmed that Haaland was struggling with a muscle injury, and Julian Alvarez was subsequently selected to lead the line for City at Wembley.

Asked for a further update on Haaland’s status ahead of kick-off against Chelsea, Guardiola said that while the problem was not serious he was unsure if he would be fit for title-chasing City’s next game against Brighton on Thursday night.

“Haaland is injured,” Guardiola told the BBC. “I don't think it's much but he's not able for today. I don't know if he will be back for the next game”.

A day earlier the Spaniard had said: "Kevin [De Bruyne] seems well.

“Erling [Haaland] felt something, a muscular issue. Kevin felt exhausted, so tired, after five months out injured, so that's normal.

“We'll see more tomorrow. [Haaland] A little bit niggles, a little bit of problems, we will see his evolution in the next hours.

Haaland was forced off with an injury against Real Madrid (Getty)

"It's normal [to be tired] with the amount of games we've played this season and in the previous seasons. There's not much time for recovery, we played extra-time and the intensity we play. We are not machines, the fatigue is there.

"We don't have an option, we can't feel sorry for ourselves. We don't have time to reflect, we'll do that in the summertime. You compete to win, but sometimes you lose games, and that's what happened."

After travelling to Brighton, Guardiola’s men head to Nottingham Forest before encounters with Wolves, Fulham, Tottenham and West Ham.