Erling Haaland was ruled out of Manchester City’s game against Leeds, with Nottingham Forest to come next for the Citizens.
Forest are winless in five matches and go to the Etihad Stadium looking to completely defy the odds and claim big points in the fight for survival.
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Haaland is one of the most feared marksmen in world football, and although Forest are unlikely to win if the Norwegian doesn’t play, it would be ideal if he were ruled out again.
After Leeds were beaten by City, Pep Guardiola provided an update on the situation involving Haaland and was asked whether he’d play against Forest.
Nottingham Forest head coach Vitor Pereira
Photo by Robin Jones/Getty Images
Pep Guardiola makes Erling Haaland claim
The striker has scored 22 goals in 27 Premier League matches this season, and with seven assists, he’s also added more strings to his bow in 2025/26.
Guardiola was quizzed on the fitness of Haaland after the win over Leeds, and it’s not clear whether or not he will return for the game against Forest.
He told The Mirror: “I don’t have the answer right now. He was not ready for today, but we have four days before Nottingham Forest. We’re not sure if he will be ready yet.”
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The likes of Neco Williams and Ola Aina showed big signs of fatigue in the defeat against Brighton, and that is a real cause for concern.
After this game, Forest don’t have a fixture until a week on Thursday, and that should give players plenty of time to rest and recuperate.
Vitor Pereira will surely devise a game plan, and although the Reds do need points pretty desperately, this is likely to be the hardest game that Forest have left to play this season.
Forest haven’t scored a goal at City in the three previous meetings since promotion, and as a result, the prospects of getting anything given the team’s current form, look pretty slim.
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