Leicester City’s defenders may be able to breathe a sigh of relief with Manchester City striker Erling Haaland potentially out of Wednesday’s clash at the Etihad Stadium (7.45pm).
Haaland was substituted off an hour into Man City’s 2-1 FA Cup win at Bournemouth on Sunday and was seen leaving the Vitality Stadium on crutches and wearing a protective boot.
Man City boss Pep Guardiola said he did not know the extent of Haaland’s injury at the time, with assessments required, but it throws big doubts over his involvement in Wednesday’s Premier League game.
It will be a boost to City as they seek their first clean sheet in 26 matches in all competitions, a run of nearly six months.
While Haaland missed a penalty at Bournemouth, he did still find the net, scoring his 30th goal in all competitions this season.
If Haaland is out, he may be one of six players missing for Guardiola’s side.
Rodri, John Stones, Nathan Ake, Manuel Akanji, and Oscar Bobb are all set to miss out on Wednesday evening.
Ruud van Nistelrooy will give an update on the fitness of his squad at his press conference on Monday morning, but if Ricardo Pereira is fit, then it will only be Abdul Fatawu who is sidelined.
By the time City take on the champions on Wednesday, they could be 12 points off the pace in the battle for survival.
Wolves, who beat Southampton before the international break to increase the gap to nine, host West Ham on Tuesday night.
If City are going to pull off a miracle and escape from the bottom three, they now need to pull off upsets like a victory at the Etihad Stadium.
Man City have plenty to play for too as they look to secure their place in the Champions League spots.
They currently sit fifth, which may be enough for qualification, with Newcastle one point behind in sixth and Chelsea one point ahead in fourth.
It may be that the travelling Leicester fans will be alone in the stadium at kick-off during Wednesday’s match.
Man City supporter groups are urging fans to remain on the concourse for the first nine minutes of the game in protest over the club’s partnerships with ticket resale platforms.
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