Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has provided a positive update on Erling Haaland's fitness ahead of the Carabao Cup tie with Liverpool.
City face Premier League rivals Liverpool in the Carabao Cup round of 16, with the Blues looking to go on and win the competition for the fifth time in six seasons. The Blues last won the competition during the 2020/21 campaign - defeating Tottenham Hotspur in the final.
Guardiola named a strong side for the cup clash, with Rodri, Kevin De Bruyne and Haaland among those starting against the Merseyside outfit. England duo Kyle Walker and Phil Foden have both been named on the bench, while World Cup winner Julian Alvarez is not yet back in training after Argentina's victory over France in the final.
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Speaking to Sky Sports, Guardiola provided an update on Haaland's fitness. "He is still a little bit away as when we were in Abu Dhabi, that first part when we returned, he still had that pain that he had before the World Cup break," the City boss explained
"But yeah, he is getting better, in a better condition and he is good." Rico Lewis has also been given the chance to impress against Liverpool and Guardiola spoke positively about the full-back.
"Every game he can play with his age is good," Guardiola added. "He is an intelligent player and he understands the game.
"We have a lot of confidence, he is another player from the academy that has come up. Of course, he is playing against the toughest, perhaps the toughest, opponent we could face so it is good for him."
The Blues won a friendly during the mid-season break, with Guardiola's men overcoming Spanish outfit Girona 2-0 at the Academy Stadium thanks to goals from Haaland and De Bruyne.
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