Erling Haaland injury clue revealed by Man City in boost for Liverpool and Arsenal

Erling Haaland was not pictured in training ahead of Manchester City's clash against Liverpool amid concerns over his injury.

Manchester City host Liverpool at the Etihad on Saturday lunchtime in their heavyweight Premier League clash.

Pep Guardiola's men are hoping to close the gap on league leaders Arsenal as they spy their third consecutive title.

Meanwhile, the Reds will be hoping for a repeat of their reverse fixture at Anfield, which saw Mohamed Salah seal all three points back in October.

And to help their cause, City may be without Europe's top scorer Erling Haaland, after the Norwegian was not pictured in training on Thursday.

Haaland a doubt for Liverpool clash

While nothing has been confirmed, Haaland's absence would add up considering he was originally a doubt for the contest, after suffering a groin injury during Manchester City's 6-0 win over Burnley in the FA Cup quarter-finals.

The 22-year-old scored yet another hat-trick against the Clarets, but was forced to withdraw from the Norway squad after visiting a hospital in Barcelona for checks.

Talking to Norwegian news outlet TV2 (quotes via Liverpool Echo) last week, Haaland's father explained: "Manchester City has a partnership with a hospital in Barcelona so he has been there for further checks and treatment.

"Now he has been here [Marbella] for a couple of days with the physio from the club.

"Firstly, I'm not a doctor and secondly, I think it's 'touch and go' [to be fit for City's next fixture], yes. You can't just go two weeks without training and then jump right into a fight. There must be a progression there.

"They can gamble on it, but if he doesn't get proper training with the team, then he won't play. It is about how he responds to treatment in the next few days.

"He needs a lot of care and 'knuckling'. There are many sprints and there is a lot to move."