Man City news: Expert ‘sure’ Erling Haaland set for extended absence after ‘ligament damage’ reveal
Noel Whelan has claimed Man City should rest Erling Haaland for upcoming games against Fulham and Brentford if he is not “100%” fit.
The former Leeds striker, speaking exclusively to Football Insider, suggested there is no point taking a risk with the 22-year-old’s long-term availability when there are a wealth of replacements in the City ranks.
Haaland missed Man City’s 1-0 win over Leicester on Saturday (29 October) after being withdrawn during last week’s Champions League draw against Dortmund.
Speaking to the BBC post-match, manager Pep Guardiola revealed the striker suffered “ligament damage” but could return before the mid-season break later this month.
Haaland, who has scored 22 goals in 16 games since joining the Citizens, will not play at the World Cup after Norway failed to qualify.
Whelan backed Man City to pick up maximum points before this month’s Qatar showpiece even if Haaland doesn’t participate in the two remaining fixtures.
He told Football Insider’s Ewan Kingsbury: “There’s a case for leaving him out. Looking at Alvarez, Grealish, De Bruyne – there are so many attacking options.
“It doesn’t matter that they’re playing maybe without a centre-forward because they’ve done that for years.
“To me, they’ve got enough quality to win these games without having to risk Haaland.
“They’ll want him for the rest of the season, so what’s the point in taking that risk?
“There’s enough quality to fill his void, and that’s just the depth that City have.
“If he’s not 100%, just give him the time to recover – I’m sure they’ll still win the two games.”
In other news, pundit “amazed” by Manuel Akanji after Man City dressing room reveal.