Pep Guardiola issues Erling Haaland injury update after Man City are knocked out of Champions League by Real Madrid | OneFootball

Pep Guardiola says he does not think the injury which forced Erling Haaland to miss Man City’s Champions League defeat to Real Madrid will keep him out for long.

The Norwegian striker travelled with the City squad to Madrid but was not involved in the game because of an injury he suffered in the closing stages of his side’s win over Newcastle on Saturday.

A Kylian Mbappe hat-trick saw City lose 3-1 in their second leg and 6-3 on aggregate as they exited the competition.

And afterwards, Guardiola said on Haaland’s injury: “Erling, yesterday, tried to train after the action against Newcastle in the last minutes.

“Probably, with the images (scans) we have done, it’s fine but he has discomfort walking, for example with stairs, and we spoke yesterday and this morning and he said he’s not ready, he doesn’t feel good.”

Guardiola has declared his side cannot win the Premier League from the position they are in and having been knocked out of the Champions League, City’s only chance of silverware this season is now the FA Cup, with Guardiola’s side facing Championship side Plymouth Argyle in the fifth round.

But after his side’s damning defeat in Madrid, the City boss says the focus is now on qualifying for next season’s Champions League.

“We have not been good, not just today but in all the competitions,” Guardiola admitted.

“I was not able to find solutions.

“Now we have 13 or 14 games in the Premier League to try, next season, to be here and to improve.

“Nothing is eternal. We have been unbelievable and we have to try, step by step, to get better than we were today.”

Guardiola was dealt another blow when John Stones was forced off in the first few minutes and he admits it was a big blow to lose him so early.

“We conceded the goal so early and the injury from John, it’s a little bit like what happened this season and we could not defend well with their movement.”