Pep Guardiola was left momentarily speechless after hearing Jamie Carragher’s claim that Erling Haaland skipped Manchester City’s Champions League clash with Real Madrid because he wanted to avoid Antonio Rudiger. Haaland remained on the bench for the entire match, citing a knee injury he picked up against Newcastle. However, Carragher suggested on CBS’s coverage of the game that the Norwegian striker was suffering from what he called “Rudiger-itis,” implying that Haaland may have been reluctant to face the German defender.
When asked about Carragher’s comments, Guardiola initially paused before responding. “Oh, God. Did he say that? Jamie Carragher said that? Oh God. Don’t laugh,” he said. “I don’t know why he makes that suspicious, you know that? Did he say that Haaland didn’t want to play the game? It’s not nice – and it’s not true. He was crazy to play the game. He had a problem with his knee and he could not play.”
Haaland’s availability remains uncertain for the upcoming Premier League match against Liverpool. Meanwhile, Guardiola is also dealing with the absence of key defenders John Stones and Manuel Akanji, both of whom sustained injuries in Madrid. The duo is expected to be out for up to three months, leaving City short at the back as they prepare for a crucial domestic fixture.
With their Champions League campaign now over, City will turn their attention to securing a top-four finish in the Premier League. They currently trail league leaders Liverpool by 17 points, having long since abandoned hopes of defending their title.
When asked whether finishing in the top four would still be a notable achievement, Guardiola responded with sarcasm. “Unbelievable. Wow. We go to dinner, you and me. I invite you. You choose the restaurant, I pay, 100% for sure, it will be a big achievement. It’s true.”
Guardiola acknowledged that his squad has faced challenges in previous seasons but admitted that this campaign has been particularly difficult. “The last seasons we also had problems but always we were able to find solutions,” he said. “But this amount of the problems that we have, you know I could not handle it. But still we have three months ahead of us and the target is to qualify for the Champions League for next season, to be there. Not to be in the draw like today, it happened. We were not there. We have to fight to be there. Of course, we are going to try. It would be a big success.”
Despite their struggles, City remain determined to finish strong and secure their place in next season’s Champions League.
