Pep Guardiola speaks frankly about Erling Haaland's injury

Coach Pep Guardiola has downplayed concerns regarding Erling Haaland's condition after the Norwegian striker was substituted just after halftime in Manchester City's 3-0 victory over Fulham.

Man City secured an important win against Fulham, narrowing the gap with Arsenal in the title race to just 3 points. Haaland along with Nico O’Reilly and Antoine Semenyo scored in the first half, before Guardiola surprised by taking Haaland off at halftime and bringing on Omar Marmoush as a substitute.

Haaland's early exit after the first half raised concerns about a possible injury to The Citizens' leading striker. After the match, Pep Guardiola provided an update on the Norwegian forward's status. He explained the substitution was to manage Haaland's playing time ahead of a congested schedule, also mentioning the player had a “minor issue.”

He told TNT Sports: “Haaland felt a bit uncomfortable. Never doubt top strikers. The season is still long.”

Later, Guardiola added on Man City's social media channel: “He wasn’t feeling his best. Why? Haaland has played a lot of games. I haven’t spoken with the doctor yet, so I don’t know exactly what the issue is. It might be fatigue. He said: ‘I don’t feel well,’ and with the score at 3-0 and many matches ahead, plus Omar (Marmoush) ready, it was an easy decision.”

Haaland scored against Fulham with a powerful long-range shot. That was his 22nd goal in the Premier League this season. In the previous round, he also netted a late decisive goal against Liverpool.

Pep Guardiola expressed satisfaction with his team's performance against Fulham, especially following their emotionally charged comeback victory in the previous match. He said: “It’s not easy after such intense emotions playing a game full of passion like against Liverpool. It was a truly, truly good performance. I’m very pleased with the players.”

With this win, Man City temporarily reduced the gap to Arsenal to 3 points, applying pressure on Mikel Arteta’s side before their match against Brentford at 03:00 on February 13.