Pep Guardiola shares good news about Haaland ahead of the match against Real

Coach Pep Guardiola somewhat alleviated concerns about Erling Haaland's injury after Man City's victory over Leeds Utd.

In Man City's victory over Leeds United in the 28th round of the Premier League, the Manchester team was without the services of Erling Haaland.

Speaking to Sky Sports after the match, Coach Pep Guardiola said Haaland suffered a minor injury during training prior to the game. However, the issue is not serious, and the striker born in 2000 is expected to return to play soon in the next match.

The Spanish strategist stated: "Two days ago during training, he had a slight issue and felt some discomfort. It's not a serious injury, but he wasn't fit enough to play today. We were missing a top striker, but we still have another top striker."

The decision to rest Haaland for the away trip to Elland Road is seen as a calculated move to ensure the Norwegian striker's fitness. With March featuring a packed schedule, including two UEFA Champions League Round of 16 legs against Real Madrid along with a series of crucial matches in the Premier League title race, Guardiola opted for the safe approach.

Despite still competing for multiple trophies, Coach Pep Guardiola asserts that the most important goal for Man City at this moment is to secure qualification for next season's UEFA Champions League.

He admitted: "We are only focusing on one match at a time. The immediate priority is recovery, then entering the most intense phase of the season, with a congested fixture list and players starting to feel fatigued.

We continuously face teams fighting for European spots or to avoid relegation, so every match is extremely difficult, just like what happened today. The Premier League is more competitive than ever. It's a real battle, but the key is to make enough progress to ensure Champions League qualification for next season. This is the club's top priority."

When asked if the team is ready to put together a long winning streak like in previous title-winning seasons, Guardiola remained nonchalant: "I'm not too concerned about that. The past is in the past.

No one knows what will happen in the match against Nottingham Forest. Even when we won 13 or 14 games in a row to win the Premier League ahead of Liverpool, I never knew when that winning streak would come. Everything is simply about focusing on each match."

With the victory over Leeds United, Man City has reduced the gap to league leaders Arsenal to two points. Tonight (March 1st), the "Gunners" will play as they host city rivals Chelsea, and that match will kick off at 23:30.