Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola says it is touch and go whether Erling Haaland will be involved against Arsenal on Wednesday.

The Norwegian picked up a thigh problem during the 3-1 win over Aston Villa at the weekend and he was taken off at halftime as a precaution. Asked whether the striker could face the Gunners, Guardiola said he was uncertain:

“Right now, I don’t know. We will have to see over the next few days. He got a knock and was uncomfortable so at 3-0 up we didn,t want to take the risk. We will assess him and if he,s not ready we will play someone else. Hopefully he is ready.”

With only a few days between the Villa and Arsenal games, it would be a surprise if Haaland is 100% fit for the trip to the Emirates.

Considering it is such a big game, Guardiola may decide to take a risk on the 22-year-old’s fitness but he will also want to take into account the bigger picture.

Their chances of winning the Premier League could be adversely harmed if Haaland aggravates the injury against Arsenal and is sidelined for a number of weeks. With Julian Alvarez waiting in the wings, it really isn’t worth taking the gamble.