Pep Guardiola provides an update on Erling Haaland and Kevin De Bruyne’s status ahead of Chelsea clash

Pep Guardiola has provided an update on the status of Erling Haaland and Kevin De Bruyne ahead of tomorrow’s FA Cup semi-final against Chelsea. Erling Haaland and Kevin De Bruyne both asked to be substituted during Manchester City’s heartbreaking penalty shootout defeat to Real Madrid on Wednesday evening.

The Manchester City manager was asked about the availability of City’s attacking duo for tomorrow’s match at Wembley. Pep Guardiola told the media during his pre-game press conference that he was unsure if both players would play tomorrow. He told the media: “Kevin is well. Erling, we will see. I don’t know I’m not a doctor. He said a little bit niggles and we’ll see his evolution in the next hours. It was a tough game (against Madrid). 120 mins of action. High intensity for both sides. Erling felt something. A muscular issue that meant he could not continue. Kevin was exhausted after five months out injured. That is normal. We will see tomorrow.”

Pep Guardiola added that fatigue is a normal issue at this time of the season. He added: “It’s normal. The number of games this season and previous seasons, not much recovery and extra time and high intensity the way we play. We put a lot of pressure in our game. They are human beings, not machines and sometimes fatigue is there.”

The duo now face a race against time to be fit for tomorrow’s clash with Chelsea. There is also the factor of the Manchester City squad overcoming the disappointment of their UEFA Champions League exit to be ready for tomorrow’s match. Given that Pep Guardiola’s squad are still in contention for a Premier League and FA Cup double they must quickly bounce back against Mauricio Pochettino’s side.