MANCHESTER: Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola said Erling Haaland remains a doubt for Sunday’s Premier League clash against Liverpool after sitting out his side’s Champions League exit to Real Madrid.
The Norwegian was named on the bench at the Santiago Bernabeu but did not make an appearance as City were outclassed in a 3-1 defeat on Wednesday to crash out 6-3 on aggregate.
“Tomorrow we will know,” said Guardiola at his pre-match press conference on Friday.
The January signing of Omar Marmoush at least means Guardiola does have a back-up option should Haaland fail to recover in time to face the league leaders, but Guardiola could not hide the importance of his 27-goal star striker.
“It’s better to have Erling on the pitch than not,” he added. “Of course with Erling we are stronger.”
The battle for supremacy between Guardiola’s City and Jurgen Klopp’s Liverpool marked an era in the Premier League.
But Arne Slot has seamlessly succeeded Klopp to have the Reds on course for the title in his first season in charge.
“For me it’s an exceptional team. I have said many times, they have been the biggest rival in my tenure here,” said Guardiola.
“Arsenal right now in the last years have been involved as well, but I could not expect differently that Liverpool (would) be in the position that they are.”
Liverpool hold an eight-point lead over Arsenal, who have a game in hand and are favorites to cut the gap to five when they host West Ham on Saturday.
After four consecutive title triumphs, City’s defense of their crown is realistically over as they are 17 points adrift of Liverpool in fourth.
Injuries have played a major role in City’s decline.
John Stones is set for another couple of months on the sidelines after limping off with a thigh tear early on against Madrid, while Rodri and Manuel Akanji may also not play again this season.
Guardiola pointed to a brutal schedule as the cause and pointed out that Arsenal, Real Madrid and Tottenham are among other clubs battling a number of serious muscle injuries this season.
City’s season could stretch into mid-July due to their participation in the Club World Cup, with the next Premier League season starting barely a month later.
Guardiola said he is already fearing a repeat situation next season that could hinder City’s hopes of bouncing back and competing for major honors.
“Of course, I’m concerned. So, next season, everybody will be fit? I don’t know what’s going to happen,” he added.
“We have already a lot of players that cannot sustain what we have in the past. Week in, week out, playing a dozen different competitions, travels. Without the problems.
“More than 50 games, it’s too much for the players. It’s too much for the human being, the body cannot sustain without a medical issue.
“And we arrived at 65, 70 games and, at the end, look what happened. It’s not just Man City. It’s all the clubs.”
Haaland a doubt for Man City showdown with ‘exceptional’ Liverpool
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Haaland a doubt for Man City showdown with ‘exceptional’ Liverpool
- “Tomorrow we will know,” said Guardiola at his pre-match press conference
- The January signing of Omar Marmoush at least means Guardiola does have a back-up option
Soccer-Senegal to get bonuses, land for Africa Cup of Nations win
- The bonuses of $134,892.09 for each of the squad’s 28 players total $3.7 million
- The players will also receive 1,500 square-meter plots of land
DAKAR: Senegal’s President Bassirou Diomaye Faye has offered bonuses of more than $130,000 as well as plots of coastal land to each member of the country’s soccer team following their victory in Sunday’s Africa Cup of Nations final against Morocco.
He spoke at a ceremony in the capital Dakar on Tuesday night during which thousands of jubilant supporters took to the streets to welcome the victorious Lions of Teranga home.
Senegal beat hosts Morocco 1-0 after extra time, having staged a walk-off after they had a penalty awarded against them deep in stoppage time at the end of 90 minutes.
After the Senegal players returned to the pitch, Morocco missed the spot kick and Pape Gueye then won the trophy with a superb strike four minutes into extra time.
Earlier on Tuesday, the Senegal players rode atop a bus emblazoned with the words “African champions” along Dakar’s corniche toward the presidential palace.
The bonuses of 75 million CFA francs ($134,892.09) for each of the squad’s 28 players total 2.1 billion CFA francs or $3.7 million. The players will also receive 1,500 square-meter plots of land.
In addition, Faye said members of Senegal’s soccer federation would receive 50 million CFA francs and 1,000 square-meter plots, while members of the Senegalese delegation to Morocco would receive 20 million CFA francs and 500 square-meter plots.
He said sports ministry staff would receive 305 million CFA francs in bonuses.
SENEGAL FACES DEBT WOES
The pledges come as Senegal grapples with debts that the International Monetary Fund said hit 132 percent of GDP at the end of 2024 after the current leadership uncovered billions in debts that were not reported by the previous administration.
The IMF froze a $1.8 billion lending program over the controversy, forcing Senegal to rely heavily on regional debt auctions to meet its financing needs.
The new IMF mission chief traveled to Senegal for an introductory visit this week.
“Dear Lions, you have honored the flag entrusted to you. You have honored Senegal. You have shown by example that when Senegalese people move forward together with discipline and confidence, no challenge is beyond their reach,” Faye said on Tuesday while speaking on a stage in front of the presidential palace.
Senegal won the Africa Cup of Nations for the first time in 2021, beating Egypt in the final. Back then, players were awarded bonuses worth 50 million CFA francs and 200 square-meter plots of land.
Patrice Motsepe, president of the Confederation of African Football, said in December that the winners of the 35th edition in Morocco would receive $10 million in prize money.
