Erling Haaland has offered Manchester City’s Champions League hopes a huge boost, judging by his latest social media post.
The Norwegian front-man has been prodigious in front of goal this season once again with 21 strikes in 28 Premier League games, but has been missing recently after an ankle injury.
The issue was sustained in Manchester City’s FA Cup win over Bournemouth, and the Citizens have since followed it up with a semi-final win against Nottingham Forest at Wembley to tee up a clash with Crystal Palace in the showpiece finale.
Following the injury against the Cherries, though, Guardiola shared the worrying prognosis, saying: ‘The doctors told me Erling Haaland will be out between five and seven weeks.
‘Hopefully at the end of the season and World Cup he will be ready.’
Now, though, just under four weeks later, the Norwegian striker has taken to social media to let fans know that he is back in training.
Erling Haaland took to social media to announce his return to first-team training on Wednesday
Haaland suffered an ankle injury during Manchester City’s FA Cup win at Bournemouth
Haaland was spotted leaving the Vitality Stadium with a protective boot on after the game
‘Back training with the team,’ the record-smashing striker wrote, in what is sure to be huge news for any City fan.
Not that any team is better without Haaland, but City have not lost a game since his injury, winning four of their last five in the Premier League, and drawing 0-0 with Manchester United at Old Trafford.
However, if Man City are to make sure of Champions League football, and even win the FA Cup to put a positive spin on a disappointing campaign, Guardiola will want Haaland back in his side.
After a comparatively lean patch of just three league goals in 13 games, he has since re-found his best form, with eight in the next 10, and a couple of assists to boot.
He also managed eight goals in a nine-game Champions League campaign that City will feel ended far too early for their liking, losing on aggregate to real Madrid in the Round of 16 play-offs.
City are currently a point ahead of Chelsea in fifth and Nottingham Forest in sixth, with the top five teams making the Champions League next season.
