Erling Haaland was only fit enough to make the bench for Manchester City in their must-win clash against Real Madrid
Rio Ferdinand has commented on Erling Haaland’s omission from the Manchester City starting lineup. The 24-year-old striker appeared to suffer a knee injury towards the end of the Premier League champions’ 4-0 win over Newcastle United at the weekend.
Haaland trained with the Man City squad on Tuesday before jetting off to the Spanish capital ahead of their clash with Real Madrid in the second leg of the Champions League play-offs. Despite the Norway international’s best efforts, he was only fit enough to make the bench.
Speaking to TNT Sports ahead of the heavyweight bout at the Santiago Bernabeu, Pep Guardiola said: “Not close enough. [Haaland] trained a little bit yesterday, but we spoke this morning and said he doesn’t feel good so we choose another one.”
Omar Marmoush, who joined Man City from Eintracht Frankfurt in the January transfer window for £59m, will lead the frontline in Haaland’s absence. While on punditry duties for TNT Sports, Ferdinand was quizzed on the Norwegian’s omission from the starting lineup.
The former Manchester United defender insisted that Haaland could still have a major impact on the must-win tie, but warned he risks doing further damage. Ferdinand said: “I think it’ll be very dangerous if he comes on the pitch today.
“We were talking before, when you get an injury, unopposed, when you start doing your rehab or you’re testing it in training the day before or the morning of the game, which he will have been doing that. You’re not really opposed.
“When you go out and play a game and you’re free, your body is a bit loose, that’s when injuries can really happen. When you see Erling Haaland is out of the team, first of all the centre-backs and goalkeeper will be going, ‘right game on, it’s going to be an easier afternoon’. 100 per cent.”
Ferdinand added: “You look at that and the morale of the opposing dressing room, I think is lifted massively when you see one of the big players in the opposition dressing room injured. I think in that sense, they’re confident anyway but that’ll be a big plus point for Real Madrid. Man City have to react to that and that’s where I’m looking to see the reaction from Marmoush.”
