According to Coach Pep Guardiola, striker Erling Haaland suffered a foot injury during the 0-1 defeat to Aston Villa midweek, making it difficult for him to walk the next day. The Spanish coach expressed deep concern about the top Manchester City striker’s injury, confirming that Haaland would be sidelined for a few weeks due to the foot injury.

The Norwegian star’s condition turned out to be more severe than initially diagnosed, forcing him to miss at least the upcoming matches against Red Star Belgrade in the Champions League and Crystal Palace in the Premier League, following his absence in the clash against Luton Town.

Guardiola stated that the team is uncertain about when Erling Haaland will return to action following the foot injury. He elaborated further in an interview with Sky Sports, saying, “Haaland has a painful reaction in his shinbone. After the match against Aston Villa, he felt something was wrong and couldn’t play. I don’t know the duration of Haaland’s recovery, whether it’s this week or the next week, the week after that.”

The Manchester City manager emphasized the importance of Erling Haaland to the team but reassured that they always have contingency plans for various situations, including injuries and suspensions. Guardiola acknowledged the significant impact Haaland has had on the team since his arrival.

Following the 2-1 comeback victory against Luton, Guardiola, in a conversation with the BBC, highlighted the team’s vulnerability in Haaland’s absence and expressed hope for his return for the Club World Cup later this month. Manchester City is currently ranked fourth in the Premier League with 33 points, trailing the league leaders Liverpool by 4 points.

The 23-year-old Norwegian player has been in exceptional form this season, leading the Premier League’s goal-scoring chart with 14 goals in 15 appearances. Haaland has a total of 19 goals in 22 matches across all competitions and recently became the fastest player to reach 50 Premier League goals in a 1-1 draw against Liverpool last month.

In the meantime, Manchester City has witnessed a decline in performance in recent weeks, with three draws against Chelsea, Liverpool, and Tottenham before the 0-1 defeat to Aston Villa. Fortunately, they bounced back with a comeback win against Luton, thanks to goals from Bernardo Silva and Grealish in the second half.

The absence of Haaland on the attacking front proved challenging for Manchester City, highlighting the striker’s invaluable contribution. Guardiola now realizes the full extent of Haaland’s prowess, and at all costs, he must retain the “genius” of the team, especially with Real Madrid reportedly eager to break his current contract. The Spanish club is reportedly willing to spend 200 million euros to bring Haaland to the Bernabeu if they fail to acquire PSG’s Kylian Mbappe.