Manchester City Striker Erling Haaland is fit and ready to return from an ankle injury, according to manager Pep Guardiola.
The 24-year-old has been sidelined since March after picking up a knock during the FA Cup collision of the city with Bournemouth, but recently returned to the team.
He was an unused replacement on the city's couch during their 1-0 win over Wolves previous time-out. Guardiola confirmed his availability for this weekend with Southampton, although he stopped mentioning whether the Norwegian will start.
“He is ready, he is fit. [If he will] Start, we'll see tomorrow, “said Guardiola.
Haaland for the last time for City in the Premier League in their collision against Brighton on March 15, where his early penalty was deliberately involved in the Premier League (84 goals, 16 assists).
He reached the milestone in just 94 games – faster than any other player in the history of the competition.
His return comes to an important point in the season, where City is still insisting to guarantee the qualification of the Champions League. They are currently third in the Premier League table, three points above the sixth placed Nottingham Forest with three games to go.
After Southampton, Manchester City will record Crystal Palace on 17 May in the FA Cup final in Wembley.
He is ready Pep (on the Fitness of Erling). He is ready, he is fit. Start? We will decide tomorrow. pic.twitter.com/pwo7dv7iak
– Manchester City (@Mancity) 9 May 2025
In an interview with ESPN earlier this week, Haaland spoke frankly about the overwhelming campaign of his side and attributed their dip in form to a loss of intensity after winning four consecutive competition titles.
“You can find apologies, injuries, many injuries in bad times, but in the end we did not perform well enough,” said the Norwegian.
“We have not been completely hungry in us. I have not been good enough. I did not help the team enough. In the end we just weren't good enough.”
When asked if the reaction of Haaland was honest, Guardiola replied: “If it is a feeling for Erling, the players have to talk to each other and wonder why.”
Haaland has 21 goals this season in 28 Premier League performances, making him only the second player who scores 20+ goals in each of his first three Premier League seasons (36 in 2022-23, 27 in 2023-24 and 20 this term)-after Ruud van Nistelrooy (between 2001-02 and 2003-04).
Although he has been sidelined due to injury, he remains the only player of the city to reach double digits in the competition and this season he has 30 goals in 40 games in all matches.
After having won the Premier League in each of the past two seasons since his arrival in Manchester, he now follows Liverpool's Mohamed Salah with seven goals with three more games.
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