Khaberni - Manchester City coach Pep Guardiola said that striker Erling Haaland might get some rest in the fourth round match of the English Football League Cup tomorrow Wednesday, at Swansea City's stadium, which competes in the second division, while midfielder Rodri continues to be absent.
Haaland failed to score for the first time in 13 matches with the club and his national team in the 1-0 defeat against Aston Villa in the Premier League last Sunday, and collided with the goal frame in the last minutes.
Guardiola said in a press conference on Tuesday, "Erling, I haven't seen him today, but he was affected by that collision. The pain is improving day by day."
He added: "We will train this afternoon and will decide whether he can play. But this is one of the games where we can rest Haaland."
Rodri, the Ballon d'Or winner, has not played since he suffered a hamstring injury against Brentford before the international break in October. His latest setback is part of a sporadic comeback for the Spanish player since he suffered a severe knee injury 13 months ago.
Guardiola said: "Rodri is still not ready, he is improving and training with us. I have no idea when he will return. I hope it's soon."
It is expected that City, which has won the League Cup four times under Guardiola's leadership, will significantly rotate players in this match to better handle its busy match schedule.
Guardiola will not underestimate the opponent
Although the odds are strongly in City's favor against Swansea, which is in the 13th place in the second division, Guardiola warned his team against underestimating the opponent.
Pep, whose last triumph in the League Cup was in 2021, said "This is not the first time for me. I've played ten seasons here and have participated several times in the (League Cup) and the FA Cup."
He added, "We have always taken lower division clubs seriously, or else we would not have achieved all this success over the past years. Therefore, we will prepare in the same way and maybe with more focus."
