Bad news for Liverpool! Man City hitman Erling Haaland starts in Etihad showdown with Reds after overcoming niggling ankle injury

Haaland suffered an ankle injury while on international duty with Norway, sparking fears he could be set for a period on the sidelines. However, coach Pep Guardiola has included him in his starting XI for the headline clash against the Reds on Saturday.

Guardiola admitted on the eve of the match that he was unsure if Haaland would be fit enough to feature against Jurgen Klopp's team, saying: "He’s trained with niggles yesterday, hopefully he can train today and we will see. We have a few problems, The same as many clubs. We will see in the training session and we will see tomorrow. At 6pm, I will know for sure which players I will have tomorrow. Always it’s plan A."

Haaland's fitness will come as a big boost to City's hopes of getting a win on home soil against the Reds. The 23-year-old has scored 13 goals and made three assists in 12 league matches to help lift City to the top of the Premier League table. The two teams are separated at the top of the table by a single point heading into Saturday's game.

Guardiola's team hope to maintain their hold on first place by getting the three points against their rivals. After the weekend's clash, the reigning European and English champions will meet RB Leipzig at home in the Champions League on November 28.