'I wish he'd come back' - Pep Guardiola provides Erling Haaland injury update after striker misses Leeds win

Haaland’s absence sparked immediate concern among the travelling faithful when the team bus arrived without the division's leading marksman. It was later revealed that the 25-year-old had sustained a minor injury in training, with his knee flagged as the specific problem area. Speaking before the match, Guardiola explained: "Two days ago, in the last moments of training, [Haaland] had some problems, a little injury. It's not a big issue, but he's not ready for today."

Despite initially downplaying the severity of the knock, Guardiola’s tone was more cautious following the final whistle at Elland Road. When asked how he felt about navigating the Leeds fixture without his star forward, the Catalan coach told Sky Sports: "I wish he'd come back!" However, the frustration for City fans deepened when he was pressed on a potential timeline for Haaland's recovery, with Guardiola simply stating: "I don't know."

The timing of the injury is far from ideal for Manchester City, who are entering a pivotal stretch of the season across three different competitions. The Citizens are set to face Nottingham Forest in midweek before a daunting FA Cup fifth round trip to Newcastle, followed by a heavyweight Champions League last-16 clash against Real Madrid. Losing Haaland for any significant period would be a massive blow to their quadruple ambitions, especially as they look to reel in Premier League leaders Arsenal.

The Haaland setback was not the only thing on Guardiola’s mind, as the City boss launched a scathing attack on the fixture organisers. City’s upcoming FA Cup tie at Newcastle has been scheduled for an 8pm kick-off, a decision that has left Guardiola fuming given the proximity to their European commitments.

"We have three days until Nottingham Forest," Guardiola noted. "And then after in the FA Cup, thank you so much for letting us play at 8pm instead of 3pm so we have less recover to play Real Madrid. So again thank you so much. This is what you have to live [with], but you have to deal with that."

To make matters worse, City’s squad depth was tested further as Nico O'Reilly was forced off during the second half of the Leeds win with an ankle problem. The youngster has been a revelation for the club this term, and his potential absence adds to a growing casualty list at the Etihad. Guardiola remains focused on the bigger picture, however, insisting that Champions League qualification is the "main, main target for the club" as they enter the business end of the campaign.

Despite the injury concerns and the pressure of a title race, Guardiola is refusing to get carried away by past winning streaks or future permutations. "I could not care less. What happened in the past is in the past," he told reporters. "You want to tell me what's going to happen against Nottingham Forest? I don't have an answer for that. When we won 13 or 14 games in a row to win the Premier League against Liverpool, I never knew when we would win 13 or 14 in a row. It's just one game at a time."

Ultimately, City will hope their collective strength can carry them through while Haaland remains sidelined. Match-winner Antoine Semenyo echoed this sentiment, stressing the importance of maintaining momentum regardless of who is on the pitch. Semenyo told the media: "It means everything! We just want to win all our games, and whatever Arsenal do we'll just have to wait and see. We just need to control what we can control, win our games, and we'll see what happens."