Pep Guardiola, Manchester City manager, has revealed that he may have to take a risk on the fitness of striker Erling Haaland for the upcoming Premier League match against Liverpool. The team will definitely be without Phil Foden, who is out for up to three weeks due to appendix surgery. Guardiola believes that life is full of risks and that sometimes you have to take them. Haaland has scored a remarkable 42 goals in 37 games this season, including 28 in 26 Premier League games.
City are currently eight points behind Premier League leaders Arsenal, with one game in hand. Foden could potentially return for the Champions League quarter-final first leg against Bayern Munich on 11 April. Guardiola has acknowledged Liverpool’s potential, despite their struggles this season. He believes they can still beat anyone, but the biggest rival this season is another team.
Saturday’s game marks the start of a crucial period for City, who are still fighting for three trophies. Alongside the Premier League title race and Champions League quarter-final, they face Championship side Sheffield United in the FA Cup semi-finals on 22 April. This means that City could potentially play up to 17 games across the next 10 weeks if they reach the final of both the FA Cup and Champions League.
Guardiola has noted the difficulty of winning the treble, which Manchester City achieved in 2019, and Manchester United achieved in 1999. He believes that the most important thing is that City are still fighting in all competitions, and that is a great achievement. He has also commented on the tendency for teams to drop off after a successful period, and that it is difficult to maintain success for 10 or 11 months.