Manchester City will welcome back two key players for the Newcastle game as Pep Guardiola looks to close the gap on Arsenal to two points in the Premier League title race
MANCHESTER, ENGLAND - FEBRUARY 04: Pep Guardiola, Manager of Manchester City, speaks with his player Erling Haaland ahead of being substituted onto the field during the Carabao Cup Semi Final Second Leg match between Manchester City and Newcastle United at Etihad Stadium on February 04, 2026 in Manchester, England. (Photo by Kate McShane/Getty Images)
Pep Guardiola has confirmed Erling Haaland is fit to return(Image: Getty Images)
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Manchester City are set to welcome back three players to their squad for the Newcastle match as they aim to close the gap on Arsenal.
The league leaders squandered a two-goal lead at Wolves in midweek, providing Pep Guardiola with an opportunity to narrow the gap to two points this weekend.
Erling Haaland is set to return after missing the FA Cup victory over Salford due to his half-time substitution against Fulham.
The Norwegian has been training this week and is expected to be fit to play against Eddie Howe's team.
Savinho will also make a comeback for the first time since New Year's Day. The Brazilian had to be substituted in the draw with Sunderland at the start of 2026 but has recovered from his injury and is likely to start against Newcastle.
Saturday's match will come too soon for Jeremy Doku, despite the Belgian nearing his return from injury.
He joins Mateo Kovacic and Josko Gvardiol on the injury list, although Bernardo Silva is fine after missing the Salford match due to a minor issue.
City have also enjoyed the unusual benefit of more rest than their opponents ahead of Saturday's match.
The Blues have had a rare midweek break, whilst Newcastle had to travel to Baku to compete in the Champions League on Wednesday night.
"The important thing is that players are revitalised after a lot of months with few days off," Guardiola said in his pre-match media briefing.
"I don't have to run one metre, so for me it's not a problem. It's the players and the players it's really good to have long weeks to rest and they trained good the last two days."
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