Manchester City Faces Challenges with Haaland's Injury and Guardiola's Response to Criticism

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Manchester City's manager Pep Guardiola has been dealing with a series of challenges, including the injury of his top scorer Erling Haaland and criticism from former Liverpool player Jamie Carragher. Haaland was left out of the matchday squad for Manchester City's clash with Liverpool on Sunday due to a knee issue he suffered during their 4-0 win over Newcastle last weekend. Guardiola had confirmed earlier that Haaland was in contention to return at the Etihad pending further tests, but the 24-year-old was not even named among the substitutes when the teams were announced.

Guardiola was also forced to respond to Carragher's suggestion that Haaland missed Manchester City's defeat at Real Madrid because he did not want to face Antonio Rüdiger, which Guardiola denied. The City head coach stated that Haaland had a problem with his knee and could not play, and that it was not nice for Carragher to make such a suggestion. Guardiola will be without the centre-backs John Stones and Manuel Akanji for Liverpool's visit and will have to wait on Haaland's fitness, with both defenders likely to be out for up to three months after being injured in Madrid.

The Champions League exit allows Manchester City to focus on domestic matters and securing a place at Europe's top table next season. They are 17 points behind Liverpool, the leaders, and long ago gave up the prospect of a fifth straight title. Guardiola stated that finishing in the top four would be a big achievement, and that the team will have to fight to qualify for the Champions League for next season. The team's top scorer, Haaland, has been replaced by Omar Marmoush, who will lead the line against Liverpool, with Kevin De Bruyne handed his first Premier League start since a 6-0 win over Ipswich last month.

Manchester City's squad for the Liverpool game is as follows:

• Omar Marmoush will lead the line in Haaland's place
• Kevin De Bruyne will make his first Premier League start since a 6-0 win over Ipswich last month
• John Stones will be out for up to three months after being injured in Madrid
• Manuel Akanji will also be out for up to three months after being injured in Madrid

The team's injury list is a major concern for Guardiola, who will have to find a way to motivate his team to secure a top-four finish. With Haaland's fitness still in question, Manchester City will have to rely on other players to step up and fill the gap.

Guardiola's response to criticism from Jamie Carragher has also been a topic of discussion, with some suggesting that the City head coach is motivated by Carragher's remarks. Sky Sports host David Jones has joked that Manchester City likely have a 'Jamie Carragher-wall' with all of his criticism posted to motivate the team. Regardless of the motivation, Manchester City will have to find a way to overcome their challenges and secure a top-four finish in the Premier League.

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