Champions League hopefuls Manchester City boosted by Erling Haaland return | OneFootball

Erling Haaland is ready to return for the season run-in to boost Manchester City’s hopes of securing Champions League football and lifting the FA Cup.

The striker missed all of April after suffering an ankle injury in the 2-1 FA Cup win over Bournemouth on March 30, but was an unused substitute in Friday’s 1-0 Premier League victory over Wolves.

The 24-year-old was sent out to warm up in the second half of a tight contest as Pep Guardiola, who on Thursday had said the game might come too soon for the Norway international, considered bringing him on.

Instead, Guardiola turned to Phil Foden, James McAtee and Rico Lewis in a triple change to help City see out the game after Kevin De Bruyne gave his side a first-half lead.

“Yeah, I thought about (bringing Haaland on) but decided for energy, in the last moments when Phil and Macca and Rico Lewis come on it was another rhythm in terms of pressing,” Guardiola said.

“I think we miss a bit today the intensity up front with Gundo (Ilkay Gundogan), with Kevin (De Bruyne), the people up front were not as intense as normally we are. But it’s normal for the quality they have and the age they have.

“I was thinking (about using Haaland) but it was just two training sessions with us and in that moment was a little bit (difficult) so I decided for the other type of players.”

City remain locked in a tight battle for a top-five finish.

They have one more league game, away to Southampton next weekend, before facing Crystal Palace in the FA Cup final on May 17. A home match against Bournemouth follows before a trip to Fulham on the final day.

Wolves made City work for a victory that sent them up to third in the Premier League, having hit the post in either half through Rayan Ait-Nouri and Matheus Cunha.

They kept pushing for an equaliser right up to the final whistle, with goalkeeper Jose Sa going up for a stoppage-time corner.

Although the result ended a six-game winning run that had lifted Wolves into mid-table, Vitor Pereira said he was proud of the spirit shown by his side, and they were enthusiastically applauded by their travelling support after the final whistle.

“We are proud of ourselves and for sure (the fans) must be proud of the work of the team,” Pereira said when asked about the reception they received.

“The players came here with the mentality to compete. We cannot control the result because in football it is impossible to control the result but can control the attitude on the pitch.

“We can lose the game but we cannot lose our identity, our spirit, our mentality and our commitment.”

Wolves were without the in-form Jorgen Strand Larsen, who had scored six goals in his last six games, with the striker sitting out the contest with a groin injury.

“It’s not serious, but we tried (on Friday) in the last training session to come to play but didn’t feel well,” Pereira added.

“We had a conversation with the medical department and we decided not to take the risk.”