Following a nearly two-month hiatus due to a foot injury, Erling Haaland returned to Manchester City as a substitute in the match against Burnley on Wednesday. As expectation builds around the PL side’s upcoming fixture against Brentford on 5th February, anticipation is high regarding whether the Norwegian striker will secure his first starting spot since his absence. And in a positive development, manager Pep Guardiola has suggested that this may indeed be the case.

Haaland was allotted just the last 25 minutes of play-time during the clash with Burnley. Before kick-off, the Man City manager provided positive news about the 23-year-old’s recovery status: “No pain, which is good,” he reported. Remarkably, this remains true even after his return to the field following a two-month absence.

The latest update on Erling Haaland’s injury

The most recent input from Guardiola proposes that Erling Haaland has achieved full fitness again. Moreover, the star player is now “ready” to reclaim his starting role within the team line-up, according to the Spanish manager. Such insights are auspicious, considering their impending match with Brentford.

However, the 53-year-old asserts confidence in the Norwegian’s readiness for competition, whether he’ll seize a place in the starting XI remains an open question. Recently, fans saw Julian Alvarez netting two goals for City, leading them to clinch a 3-1 victory over Burnley. Alongside this, the Argentine has shown commendable form himself, which might persuade managerial decisions when selecting starters.

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Fans remain eager as they anticipate how Guardiola shall reconcile, giving both top-form players adequate pitch time whilst managing performance sustainability amongst these wide-ranging talents. With the recent recovery of Erling Haaland, Manchester City now only has Manuel Akanji remaining on their injured roster. However, this concern is seemingly also nearing resolution.

Manuel Akanji is also close to making his return

A knock to his leg during last month’s third-round FA Cup match against Huddersfield Town saw Manuel Akanji become sidelined from play. At the club’s training camp in Abu Dhabi, the Swiss defender remained as the lone player unable to take part. However, Pep Guardiola positively noted, “Everybody is fit, everybody is ready!”

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This indicates progress in Akanji’s recuperation and suggests a potential appearance against Brentford in sight. This promising update opens up an opportunity for Cityzens to celebrate not just Haaland’s return, but also to signal a possible end to all injury concerns within the team.

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