man city striker Erling Haaland “feels much better” after missing the win at Leeds and faces a fitness test in training on Tuesday (ET) ahead of Wednesday’s trip to Nottingham Forest (ET). Manager Pep Guardiola said a decision on Haaland’s availability will come after Tuesday’s session, and midfielder Nico O’Reilly is also an injury doubt. City arrive at the midweek fixture five points behind Arsenal and have signalled the urgency of not dropping points in the closing phase of the season.
Man City injury update and selection decisions
Guardiola confirmed Haaland was absent from the squad at Elland Road because of an ankle problem but added: “He feels much better. ” The manager said City “didn’t train” on one day ahead of the midweek run and that the coaching staff would make a final call “today [Tuesday]. ” The same process applies to Nico O’Reilly, who was forced off against Leeds and has his fitness to face Nottingham Forest assessed after Tuesday’s training (ET).
The squad faces a compressed schedule: Guardiola emphasised the importance of the coming fixtures, noting the competition tightness as teams approach the run-in. City will kick off against Nottingham Forest on Wednesday (ET) while Arsenal face Brighton at the Amex Stadium at the same time, leaving little margin for error as the table tightens.
Immediate reactions
Pep Guardiola, Manchester City manager, framed the situation bluntly in the press comments made before the midweek game: “Yesterday we didn’t train, and now we’re training. We’ll decide today [Tuesday]. ” On O’Reilly, he added: “The same; we’ll decide after training. ” Guardiola also underlined the stakes: “When you arrive at the last 10 games of the season, it starts to be decisive at every point. “
Those remarks tie team selection directly to how players respond in the final sessions before matchday, with Haaland’s status the standout uncertainty for the lineup at Nottingham Forest.
Quick context and what’s next
Erling Haaland missed Manchester City’s victory at Leeds because of the ankle issue, and that absence triggered late decisions around the squad. The uncertainty has rippled beyond team sheets: fantasy managers and tactical plans were unsettled by Haaland’s non-participation and by the late fitness checks on younger players.
What happens next is clear in procedure if not outcome: the coaching staff will assess players in Tuesday’s training (ET) and confirm availability ahead of the Wednesday kick-off (ET). Guardiola flagged the congested schedule — “We have six games in this month, two in the Premier League before the international break, and it’s really important. We are five points behind Arsenal, so we cannot drop points. ” The coming training session will determine whether Haaland returns to the XI, whether Nico O’Reilly can be risked, and how Guardiola balances immediate selection with fitness for the decisive run-in — all pivotal decisions for man city as the season moves into its critical phase.
