Pep Guardiola issues Haaland and Rodri injury update as Man City face Bournemouth | OneFootball

Manchester City will welcome Andoni Iraola’s high-flying Bournemouth side to the Etihad Stadium for a box office Premier League fixture this Sunday.

City are looking to bounce back after last weekend’s disappointing 1-0 defeat to Aston Villa, and there’s good news for the Cityzens, with Erling Braut Haaland fit and ready to return to action.

The Norwegian striker picked up a knock late in the game at Villa Park and missed City’s midweek 3-1 EFL Cup fourth round victory against Championship strugglers Swansea City.

However, manager Pep Guardiola confirmed during his pre-match press conference that the Premier League top scorer is available for selection.

When asked if Haaland would play, Guardiola responded with a simple but reassuring “Yeah”.

Another key figure nearing a return is midfielder Rodri, who hasn’t featured since the win over Brentford before the October international break.

Guardiola revealed that the Spaniard is back in contention but stopped short of confirming whether he’ll start this weekend’s clash against Villa.

“I think he’ll be ready to help,” Guardiola said. “I don’t know if from the beginning, but hopefully he can be with us. He’s been out a few times, and we know how important he is for us.”

City will need all their key players firing against a Bournemouth side that has been one of the Premier League’s early surprises.

The Cherries currently sit second in the table with 18 points from their first nine games, a remarkable achievement for Iraola’s team, considering they lost a plethora of key players over the summer.

But the Etihad has been a fortress in this fixture. City have won all eight Premier League meetings with Bournemouth at home, scoring 31 goals and conceding only five.

However, Guardiola isn’t underestimating his opponents. When asked how far Bournemouth can go this season, he kept his response brief but respectful.

“That’s a question for Iraola,” he said. “I would say it’s just nine games, but also in previous seasons, they’re consistent. The team, manager, players, a tough opponent, but we know that.”