Erling Haaland and Phil Foden sit out Manchester City training ahead of run-in

Pep Guardiola criticised his side’s ‘unacceptable’ schedule after the FA Cup semi-final win against Chelsea

Harry Latham-Coyle
Tuesday 23 April 2024 07:28 EDT
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Phil Foden and Erling Haaland missed the open portion of Manchester City training on Tuesday, putting in doubt their participation in the Premier League fixture against Brighton.

Pep Guardiola’s side continue their pursuit of the title with a trip to the Amex on Thursday as the manager continues to manage a hectic schedule.

Erling Haaland and Phil Foden missed Manchester City training on Tuesday
Erling Haaland and Phil Foden missed Manchester City training on Tuesday (AP)

After their FA Cup win over Chelsea, Guardiola slammed the “unacceptable” scheduling that forced his side to play the Cup semi-final at Wembley just days after exiting the Champions League on penalties to Real Madrid.

It led him to declare that some of his players would be put “in the fridge” to rest them for the challenges to come with Manchester City still in the hunt for two trophies.

The club now have a game in hand on both Arsenal and Liverpool, who are tied at the top of the Premier League on 74 points. The defending champions are one point further back with six league fixtures to go.

Pep Guardiola slammed ‘unacceptable’ scheduling after Manchester City’s win over Chelsea
Pep Guardiola slammed ‘unacceptable’ scheduling after Manchester City’s win over Chelsea (PA Wire)

Haaland did not feature in the Chelsea win after suffering a muscular problem, while Foden has played nearly 50 times in all competitions since the start of the campaign.

In better news for Guardiola, John Stones was able to take part in training after his half-time withdrawal at Wembley.

The England defender has dealt with a number of injury issues this season but remains a key figure as Manchester City target twin triumphs.

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