Pep Guardiola plays his trump card by preserving star player for Real Madrid match | OneFootball

Real Madrid must have kept a close eye on Manchester City this weekend as they came back from behind to secure a 3-1 win over Newcastle United.

One of the key highlights from the game was the absence of Erling Haaland. The Norwegian international was not even included in the squad list against the Magpies.

This comes despite positive reports surrounding Haaland’s fitness and how he has recovered after picking up a minor training knock ahead of the Leeds United game.

Guardiola playing his trump card?

According to MARCA, Guardiola’s decision not to include Haaland in the Manchester City squad against Newcastle United was completely calculated.

Guardiola’s strategy is to give Haaland more time to recover so he can be even more fit heading into the midweek clash against Real Madrid.

Guardiola is saving Haaland for Real Madrid. (Photo by Kate McShane/Getty Images)

In fact, the Man City coach wants Haaland to start the game against Los Blancos, knowing their defences could be vulnerable to the presence of one of the strongest forwards in world football.

Guardiola had already hinted at the move before the match against Newcastle United, suggesting that he prefers him to stay on the bench rather than play a minor role this weekend.

“I hadn’t planned for him to play. I prefer him to do training sessions rather than travel to sit on the bench and only play 10 or 15 minutes,” he said.

With 28 goals in all competitions this season, Haaland’s ability to find the back of the net could pose serious problems for a Real Madrid defence that hasn’t looked quite sharp in recent matches.

Real Madrid, though, are counting on the return of Eduardo Camavinga, a key operator in the middle of the park.