Copyright manchestereveningnews
Erling Haaland is too important to Manchester City to be handed a rest by Pep Guardiola as the Norwegian gears up for a season that could last 13 months. Nobody has started more games for City or played more minutes this season than Haaland, who has also played all but one minute of Norway's four World Cup qualifiers since June. His only night off for the Blues came in the Carabao Cup win at Huddersfield and it looks certain he will be left in Manchester again next week when his teammates travel to south Wales to face Swansea in the fourth round. The 25-year-old's season started in the Club World Cup in June, when he played 256 minutes across City's four games in the United States, and it will likely end across the pond next summer, with Norway on course for a first World Cup appearance in 28 years thanks to Haaland's goals. That could mean he plays upwards of 70 games this season but Guardiola can't make a case for resting him and will only do so if the title is wrapped up early. "I’m so sorry for my colleague Stale Solbakken from the national team of Norway but I’m not thinking about that," said Guardiola. "Maybe at the end when we win the Premier League 10 points in front and 10 fixtures from the end he’ll take a rest. "Now he feels fit, he feels fine. There are games when he might look tired and he isn’t going to play. We are in a position right now, Champions League is massively important, the games we’ve played so far and the next two games at home will give us a really, really big chance to finish in the first eight. "In the Premier League, I don’t have the feeling Arsenal are going to drop many points, that is a reality. Now Liverpool lose their last few games in the league, but I saw them against United, they had incredible chances to win the game, I think Liverpool remain one of the main favourites. Three or four points at this stage is nothing. "I have the feeling both teams will lose few points and that’s why we have to be there." --- Here at the Manchester Evening News, we’re dedicated to bringing you the best Manchester City coverage and analysis. Make sure you don’t miss out on the latest City news by joining our free WhatsApp group. You can get all the breaking news and best analysis sent straight to your phone by clicking here to subscribe. You can also subscribe to our free newsletter service. Click here to be sent all the day’s biggest stories. And finally, if you’d rather listen to our expert analysis then make sure to check out our Talking City podcast. Our shows are available on all podcast platforms, including Spotify and Apple Podcasts , and you can also watch along on YouTube .
