Manchester City forward Erling Haaland has made a full recovery from his ankle injury and is ready to return to action, according to manager Pep Guardiola.
Haaland, 24, had been out of the game since March after sustaining an ankle injury during his team’s FA Cup match against Bournemouth, but he will be available in time to participate in the tournament’s final later this month.
The Norwegian player was on the bench and did not play as City enhanced their Champions League prospects with a 1-0 victory against Wolves in the Premier League last week.
Prior to the team’s match against Southampton today, Guardiola commented on Haaland’s readiness, stating, “he is prepared, he is fit. We will decide if he will start.”
Currently, City occupies the third position in the league, sitting three points ahead of Nottingham Forest, who are in sixth, as teams compete for one of the top-five spots that guarantee Champions League participation for this season.
Following the match with Southampton, Guardiola’s squad will face Crystal Palace in the FA Cup final at Wembley on May 17, and then will conclude their league season with fixtures against Bournemouth and Fulham.
In a recent interview with ESPN, Haaland discussed City’s underwhelming performance this season after winning four league titles consecutively, attributing it to a decline in “hunger” within the team.
“You can attribute it to various reasons, including injuries hitting at inopportune times, but ultimately, we haven’t performed at the required level,” Haaland remarked.
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“We haven’t found that hunger within ourselves. I haven’t been at my best. I haven’t contributed sufficiently to the team’s success. Ultimately, we haven’t met expectations.”
Guardiola remarked, “If this is how Erling feels, then the players need to communicate among themselves and reflect on the reasons why.”
Haaland has netted 21 times in 28 Premier League matches this season, being the sole player from City to hit double digits in the competition so far.
He has scored 30 goals across 40 matches in all tournaments in the 2024-25 season and has also provided four assists.
