Manchester City toppled Leeds United 1-0 on Saturday, but there's one name missing from the post-game celebration: Erling Haaland. The 25-year-old picked up an injury in training and was not fit to travel with the team, marking a rare absence for City's star striker.
Haaland supposedly picked up a minor injury in training, with his knee the problem area in particular. Manager Pep Guardiola kept it simple, saying "Two days ago, he had in the last moments of training some problems. A little injury. It's not a big issue but not ready for today." The injury came days before the Leeds clash, giving City limited time to assess the situation.
Haaland was likely to be available as soon as the midweek clash against Nottingham Forest, so this looks like a short-term setback. Haaland has 22 goals and seven assists in the Premier League this season, pacing the division in goals and goal contributions—so getting him back quickly matters as City chases the title. Even without their superstar, City got the job done against Leeds, with Antoine Semenyo scoring the winning goal. Sometimes that's just how it goes in football.