Erling Haaland suffered an injury to his left ankle in Manchester City’s 2-1 win over AFC Bournemouth in the FA Cup quarterfinal last Sunday, March 30.
The injury to their star marksman took the sheen off Manchester City’s victory.
Before being taken off the field, the 24-year-old Norwegian had scored the equalizer for the Cityzens, thereby taking his season’s tally to 30.
This is the third consecutive season Haaland has scored 30 or more goals for the English champions and already has 120 goals for the Cityzens.
Manchester City Might Suffer Without Erling Haaland During the Remainder of the Season
As per reports, it might take Haaland around seven weeks to recover fully. That means that he will be missing the lion’s share of action for the remainder of the season.
This is not good news for the City, who have 48 points in 29 matches and are lying in the fourth position in the league table.
Haaland’s presence inside the opposition box, his opportunism and his ability to finish will sorely be missed.
It will not be an exaggeration to say that the Norwegian has been Manchester City’s most influential player this season.
Hence, Pep Guardiola will have to replace Haaland with Omar Marmoush. Marmoush scored the match-winner against Bournemouth and scored City’s second goal in a 2-0 win against Leicester City.
The Egyptian has scored seven goals in 13 matches for the Cityzens already. He is fast, direct and has a good shot on him that can put the opposition goalkeepers in a tight spot at times.
However, Marmoush is not as big a man as Haaland physically, which means that Manchester City will be less of a threat through the aerial balls in the Norwegian’s absence.
Still, the additional burden of responsibility might turn him into a better player and test his ability.
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Manchester Derby Next
The Cityzens will play against Manchester United at Old Trafford in a Premier League match on Sunday.
They will then play against Crystal Palace and Everton in their next two league matches.
Guardiola’s men have dominated their rivalry against Manchester United in recent times and should look to improve their record on Sunday.
The game against Nottingham Forest in the FA Cup semifinal will take place in the last week of April.
While winning the FA Cup should be a great incentive, the priority for the English champions should be on ensuring the top-four finish and thereby ensure participation in the UEFA Champions League next season.
Should Manchester City not be able to finish inside the top-four, it might come as a bit of a setback for them.
Guardiola has never experienced a setback like that and will be eager to prevent it.
It remains to be seen whether his men are able to put the days of struggle behind them in Haaland’s absence.
Main Photo
Credit: IMAGO / Colorsport
Recording Date: 30.03.2025