Manchester City were without Erling Haaland during their 3-1 victory over Newcastle at the weekend and Pep Guardiola has now explained why the striker was left out.
Pep Guardiola had pulses racing when he made 10 changes to the Man City team which took on Nottingham Forest.
However, City played brilliantly against Newcastle, earning a decisive 3-1 victory which saw them book a place in the FA Cup quarter-finals.
Omar Marmoush certainly stepped up on the night, after starting instead of Erling Haaland who was left out of the matchday squad entirely.
Pep Guardiola reveals why he did not play Erling Haaland
Although Haaland started against Nottingham Forest, he has only recently returned from a brief injury which saw him miss Man City’s 1-0 victory over Leeds at the end of last month.
It is for this reason that Guardiola decided the Norwegian should not travel to Newcastle, as he needs time to get back up to speed.
Guardiola said in his post-match press conference: “I didn’t think to let him [Haaland] play [against Newcastle]. I prefer him training to get into rhythm. After being injured, when he drops [deep], he struggles to have the real, real pace [to get forward].”
Haaland has a point to prove for Man City
Last week was a difficult time for Haaland, as he failed to make an impact when his team were held to a draw by Nottingham Forest.
To make things even tougher, the weight of expectation towards the striker will have increased after Marmoush’s brace on Saturday.
Haaland must perform against Real Madrid, or else the pressure will keep on mounting, which could ultimately see calls for Marmoush to be given more minutes at the 25 year old’s expense.
