Pep Guardiola, the manager of Manchester City, has officially stated that Erling Haaland will not be available for the upcoming match against Newcastle. However, he has expressed confidence in the participation of Kevin De Bruyne in the game.

Erling Haaland, the prolific striker for Manchester City, will unfortunately not be taking part in their upcoming match against Newcastle United on Saturday, as confirmed by manager Pep Guardiola. Haaland, who has already netted an impressive 19 goals this season, has been sidelined since December 6 due to a foot injury. This will mark his ninth consecutive absence from the team.

Despite Haaland’s absence, City will be boosted by the potential return of Kevin De Bruyne to Premier League action. De Bruyne, who has recently recovered from a lengthy injury layoff, is expected to be available for selection after featuring as a substitute in the club’s emphatic FA Cup victory over Huddersfield.

Guardiola expressed his satisfaction with De Bruyne’s form in training, stating, “What I saw yesterday, he looks really good and dynamic. The minutes he played were really good, better than the training sessions before the Huddersfield game when he was a little bit not what he is. But that’s normal when you come from five months of injury. The important thing is he is getting better.”

In addition to Haaland, City will also be without the services of defender John Stones, who is currently nursing an ankle injury. However, there is hope that Jack Grealish will be available again after recovering from illness.

City will be looking to continue their improved league form as they face Newcastle United at St James’ Park. Guardiola’s side experienced a rare patch of poor form in November and early December, enduring a four-game winless run. When asked about the possibility of winning a record fourth consecutive league title, Guardiola remained confident, stating, “Right now, yeah. How many points left? 18 or 19 games, so obviously mathematically possible. Is it realistic? At the moment, it’s far away so I don’t know. I will answer this question when we are six, seven games out.”

Newcastle United, on the other hand, have had a relatively strong record at home this season, despite suffering a recent defeat to Nottingham Forest. The Magpies will be hoping to build on their victory against Sunderland in the FA Cup and turn their Premier League form around, as they currently sit in ninth place in the table.

However, Newcastle have been hit by an injury crisis of their own, with Joelinton being the latest player to be ruled out.

The match between Newcastle United and Manchester City will be broadcast live on TNT Sports 1 and ultimate, with coverage starting at 16:45 on Saturday, January 13, ahead of kick-off at 17:30. Fans can subscribe to TNT Sports through various providers such as discovery+, BT, EE, Sky, and Virgin Media.