Erling Haaland remains a fitness doubt for Manchester City’s trip to Tottenham on Wednesday after missing the last two games.
City’s top scorer sat out defeats against Real Madrid and Liverpool after jarring his knee in the 4-0 win over Newcastle on February 15, and his absence has been telling with City struggling to turn their dominance of possession into chances in Sunday’s 2-0 loss to Liverpool.
Pep Guardiola said on Tuesday he was optimistic the 24-year-old will be available in north London on Wednesday night but no decision has yet been taken.
We need your consent to load this Social Media content. We use a number of different Social Media outlets to manage extra content that can set cookies on your device and collect data about your activity.
“Tonight, we will know it after training,” Guardiola said. “I hope so but I don’t know yet.
“He feels better but the last two games he could not play. We’ll see tomorrow.”
Haaland’s absence has left Omar Marmoush to lead the line, but the Egypt international has been unable to follow up his hat-trick against Newcastle.
But Guardiola said he had been very happy with the impact made by Marmoush, as well as fellow January signings Abdukodir Khusanov and Nico Gonzalez.
“It has been really good for the short time they are training,” Guardiola said.
Abdukodir Khusanov was one of four January signings for City (Adam Davy/PA)
“Khusanov arrived and played against Chelsea, Orient, Newcastle, Madrid and Liverpool, so a tough and difficult schedule to come into in, with the lack of communication as he still doesn’t speak English fluently, so the impact is really good.
“Omar as well. Nico plays well but the impact is really good, we are satisfied. Of course Victor (Reis), when he has minutes, he will always be in a good level.”
The four mid-season signings illustrated the scale of the rebuild that City have been forced into this season following a number of injuries and the dramatic decline of some of the older players in the squad.
Out of the Champions League and with their title defence effectively over, they still face a fight to get into the top four.
But Guardiola denied this rebuild is the biggest challenge of his career.
Pep Guardiola said that rebuilding City was not the biggest challenge of his career (Martin Rickett/PA)
“No, we have done it already,” he said. “After nine years, it is not the same team we started with nine years ago. We have done it two or three times already. It is not the biggest challenge.
“The challenge I had is when I was starting my managerial career with my staff. I proved myself and my staff proved we can do it.”
Spurs remain a bogey team for Guardiola and City, particularly away from home, as City have won only two of their eight games at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
Their last trip there in October ended in a 2-1 defeat in the Carabao Cup, a result which was the first in a five-game losing streak – the first of Guardiola’s managerial career – that also included a 4-0 loss to Spurs at the Etihad Stadium as City’s season went off the rails.
Tottenham enjoyed a 4-0 win at Manchester City in November (Martin Rickett/PA)
But if City have endured a rocky campaign, things have been even worse for Ange Postecoglu’s side following an injury crisis, and they remain 12th in the Premier League despite winning their last three games.
Guardiola said Spurs are a better team than their results show.
“They’re a fantastic team, with individual quality,” Guardiola said. “The rhythm they play and intensity they do, incredible runners in the transitions but I think lately they have a few more extra passes.
“They can do it, especially when James Maddison plays. The results dictate one thing, but the opinion of the team is the opposite.”