Pep Guardiola provides Erling Haaland and Phil Foden injury updates ahead of Man City vs Liverpool

Pep Guardiola issued an update on Erling Haaland and Phil Foden’s fitness which could have an impact on both Liverpool and Arsenal.

City take on Liverpool on Saturday, in a fixture that has been one of the most fiercely contested of the past five years.

This term however, the Reds have been a shadow of their former selves, while Pep Guardiola’s men enter the match eight points adrift of table toppers Arsenal, albeit with a game in hand.

Yet, with just 11 league games to play, City have rediscovered some of their best form. They entered the March international break having put seven goals past RB Leipzig and dismantled Burnley 6-0 in the FA Cup.

Ahead of the weekend, Guardiola gave an injury update on Foden and Haaland. The pair’s fitness will not only have an impact on the upcoming Liverpool game but on the title race generally.

Guardiola gives Haaland and Foden update

Guardiola said Haaland, who has scored 28 goals in 26 Premier League appearances for City so far this season, would be assessed following Friday afternoon’s training session.

The striker withdrew from Norway duty after suffering groin pain following the FA Cup quarter-final win over Burnley.

On Haaland’s fitness, Guardiola said: “Erling is recovering; last training session and we will see how he feels.”

Pushed on how far away Haaland was from a return, the Spaniard added: “We will see this afternoon.”

However, Guardiola insisted that concerns over Haaland’s fitness had not affected the preparation for the weekend’s game.

The City boss said: “The football is the quality of the players. When you play with the typical players that you need, the tactics and skills are for every player.

“Haaland has his skills and Julian (Alvarez) has his own skills. He can give us one thing, a false nine has other skills.

“We saw most of the players coming back from the international break yesterday and we couldn’t do much. We will see today the last assessment and we will decide.”

Meanwhile, City will also be without Foden, who misses out after undergoing surgery to remove his appendix.

Asked about Foden’s prognosis, Guardiola said: “Phil had the surgery.

“The doctors tell me 2-3 weeks I think. We will see how he develops.”