Haaland, De Bruyne, Doku close to return for Man City

Manchester City’s manager, Pep Guardiola, provided updates on the fitness of Erling Haaland, Kevin de Bruyne, and Jeremy Doku ahead of Sunday’s FA Cup third-round clash with Huddersfield Town. Guardiola expressed uncertainty about their availability despite positive training performances this week.

Erling Haaland, the league’s joint top scorer with 14 goals, has been sidelined since December 6 due to a bruised foot. Guardiola mentioned, “Jeremy feels really, really good, and Kevin as well. And Erling is also a little bit better.” He added that the trio has shown improvement in training, but their participation in the upcoming match or the subsequent Premier League fixture against Newcastle on January 13 remains uncertain.

Guardiola emphasized the importance of avoiding major setbacks for De Bruyne, Doku, or Haaland, stating, “No major setbacks, that would be the worst for Kevin or Jeremy or Erling, that is the most important.”

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Regarding other players, Guardiola revealed that John Stones has not resumed training since injuring his ankle last week. Additionally, midfielder Rodri will be unavailable for the Huddersfield match due to personal reasons – his grandad’s passing has led him to be with family in Madrid. Guardiola acknowledged, “Family is the most important thing.”

Despite these challenges, last year’s treble winners currently sit third in the Premier League standings, trailing leaders Liverpool by five points.