Pep Guardiola gives Man City injury updates on Erling Haaland and Nico O'Reilly

Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola spoke about two players with injury problems ahead of a run of tricky fixtures.

Pep Guardiola was unable to say when Nico O'Reilly and Erling Haaland will return for Manchester City ahead of three crunch games in three different competitions over eight days. Haaland missed the Premier League win over Leeds at the weekend with an injury he had picked up in training, while O'Reilly was forced off with 20 minutes to go after picking up an ankle problem.

O'Reilly has shifted into midfield for the Blues in recent weeks and has shown what a force he can be, mixing physicality in duels with an attacking threat that brought him three goals against Fulham and Newcastle. Guardiola described his injury at Leeds as an 'ankle knock' that he tried to play on with before being substituted, and City will have to ascertain what the damage is.

Haaland picked up a minor problem in training on Thursday, even if it was deemed major enough for him to miss a trip to Elland Road. He could be back as soon as Wednesday for the Premier League home game with Nottingham Forest as City look to keep pace with Arsenal at the top of the table.

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However, City also have tough knockout games to consider in their next two fixtures. They head to Newcastle in the fifth round of the FA Cup on Saturday evening before travelling to Madrid on Tuesday for the first leg of their Champions League last-16 game - a match where Guardiola would have liked more time to prepare.

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“I don't have an answer right now [on Haaland's injury]," he said on Saturday evening. "He was not ready for today, but we have four days before Nottingham Forest and after three days in FA Cup in Newcastle at 8pm. Thank you so much for that time to go better to Madrid with less recovery. Thank you."

"It's different arriving at 7-8pm to Manchester to recover than arriving at 1-2am. It's different. For Newcastle it's different, when you come from Carabao Cup in the Champions League, play at 3pm or play at 8pm. It's different. So it's where it is.

"I know all the teams in the FA Cup play at 3pm, at 3pm, at 3pm. OK, we play at 8pm. Fatigue, you know, the details make a difference. Like a corner, like a free-kick, like a throw-in, like details. We have less. And after that, arriving on time, you have to travel again [to Madrid]. So we have to go there. It is what it is."

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