Potential Erling Haaland return date revealed following Liverpool absence

Erling Haaland could return for Manchester City as soon as next week, with the striker having missed Saturday’s thumping of Liverpool due to injury.

City were without the 22 year-old for this weekend’s win over Liverpool, as the Blues came from behind to beat Jurgen Klopp’s side 4-1 at the Etihad Stadium.

Julian Alvarez cancelled out Mo Salah’s opener, before second half goals from Kevin De Bruyne, Ilkay Gundogan and Jack Grealish helped City to an emphatic seventh consecutive victory in all competitions.

The Blues were without Erling Haaland on Saturday afternoon as the Norwegian continues to recover from a groin injury which forced the striker to withdraw from international duty.

Haaland missed two European Championship qualification matches, with Norway suffering a 3-0 defeat to Spain and drawing 1-1 with Georgia.

The striker was absent from the matchday squad this weekend having missed first-team training sessions at the City Football Academy last week.

The 22 year-old had scored back-to-back hat-tricks prior to the international break, netting five goals against RB Leipzig in the UEFA Champions League and three times in an Emirates FA Cup clash with Burnley.

Haaland, who has already become City’s highest goalscorer for an individual campaign, has scored 42 goals in all competitions for the Blues this season.

As well as leading the race for the Premier League golden boot with 28 goals in 26 appearances, Haaland has scored six hat-tricks already this season.

Following Saturday’s win over Liverpool, Pep Guardiola hinted that the Blues’ talisman could return from injury next week, when the Champions travel to St Mary’s to face Southampton in the Premier League.

“Hopefully this week he will have time to be ready for Southampton and Bayern and he can help us in the way he has done all season,” said Guardiola.

“He felt a little better yesterday than the previous two days.”

News of a possible return prior to a crunch Champions League quarter-final first-leg with Bayern Munich will be a welcome boost to Guardiola as the Catalan also deals with the absence of Phil Foden, who underwent surgery due to appendicitis last month.

Foden may not return to action until an FA Cup semi-final at Wembley Stadium against Sheffield United on Saturday 22nd April having withdrawn from the England squad to have an operation to remove his appendix.

Speaking on Friday, Guardiola said: “The doctors tell me 2-3 weeks I think, we will see how he develops.”