Manchester City top scorer Erling Haaland has been ruled out of his side’s trip to face Leeds with an injury suffered in training.
The Norwegian striker is not even on the bench for Pep Guardiola’s title-chasers in what is a major boost for the Elland Road hosts.
Guardiola has called up Rayan Cherki to start and Jeremy Doku returns to the bench for the visitors, revealing that Haaland picked up the knock on Friday.
Pep Guardiola is without Erling Haaland for the clash with Leeds at Elland Road
Prior to kick-off, Guardiola said: ‘Two days ago, in the last moments of training, Haaland had a little injury. It’s not a big issue, but he’s not ready for today.’
The leader of the Golden Boot race has scored an incredible 39 goals in just 36 games for club and country this season.
But his form has been patchy recently, with just one in his previous eight encounters. After City’s defeat by Bodo/Glimt in the Champions League, he suggested playing too many games may have played a part.
‘I do my best whenever I am on the pitch and I am on the pitch quite often because we play ridiculous amount of games,’ he said.
‘I try to do my best, that is my job and I try to get ready for the next game.’
Only this week, Guardiola suggested the amount Haaland has been playing is not sustainable.
He said: ‘It’s really important [to have Haaland winning duels], but we have to try to use him as little as possible, even with man marking.
‘We have to make an alternative. If it’s not man marking, it’s long balls… Every three days doing that for a striker like Erling is unsustainable.
‘We have to make alternatives to try and have the dream so he can play and play and play more.’
