Premier League: Erling Haaland 'ready' for Man City return ahead of Southampton trip

Manchester, May 9 (IANS) Pep Guardiola says Erling Haaland is in contention to start against Southampton on Saturday. Man City travel to the St Mary's Stadium with hosts Southampton having already been relegated to the Championship for next season.

Victory at Southampton will leave City in the driving seat for a Champions League qualification spot with just two league games remaining.

An ankle injury has meant Haaland hasn’t featured since the FA Cup quarterfinal victory over Bournemouth at the end of March, but Guardiola says his Norwegian striker is available for selection again. “He’s ready. He’s fit. Start? We decide tomorrow,” Guardiola confirmed in Friday’s press conference.

The City boss was also asked about the fitness of long-term absentees Nathan Ake, Oscar Bobb and Rodri, but was adamant they will not feature this weekend. “Still not available. They’ve started training with us partially, but they’re still not available," he added. Guardiola was also asked about his thoughts on Xabi Alonso.

Alonso has officially announced his departure from Bayer 04 Leverkusen, concluding a historic reign at the club. The 43-year-old Spaniard, who took the helm in October 2022, is heavily linked with a move to Real Madrid.

Under Alonso's guidance, Leverkusen achieved historic milestones, most notably clinching their first-ever Bundesliga title in the 2023–24 season without a single defeat—a feat unparalleled in German football history.

The Spaniard rang praises for Alonso and called his impact at Leverkusen unbelievable.' "His impact on Leverkusen has been unbelievable. I think all the managers who had the opportunity and the pleasure to have him as a player always realised that he would be a manager.

"Going to Germany and fighting with Bayern Munich is always so difficult. Last season, they were unbeaten except for the last game against Atalanta in the Europa League final. The way they played, the way he improved the players - I think Leverkusen themselves have to be so proud of the partnership that they had for just three years," said Guardiola.

--IANS

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