Manchester City recalled the Premier League’s top scorer Erling Haaland to the bench for the game against Fulham at the Etihad Stadium.
Erling Haaland was set for a Premier League return off the bench as he was named as a substitute for Manchester City’s clash with Fulham on Saturday.
The prolific Norwegian missed last week’s 1-0 win at Leicester City and Wednesday’s 3-1 UEFA Champions League victory over Sevilla after a leg injury.
With 17 goals in his first 11 Premier League appearances and already 22 goals in all competitions, the former Borussia Dortmund striker has made a flying start to his time in England.
Manager Pep Guardiola was determined not to rush Haaland back and said on Friday that the 22-year-old would be assessed after the final training session before deciding on his involvement.
Guardiola said it was clear Haaland was “much better”.
With the visit of Fulham, Guardiola saw fit to hand Haaland a limited role, instead starting Julian Alvarez as his main striker, supported by the likes of Bernardo Silva, Jack Grealish and Kevin De Bruyne.
City’s bench was loaded with quality for the match against the Cottagers, with Haaland joined by players including Ruben Dias, Phil Foden and Riyad Mahrez.
Fulham, meanwhile, were without their leading goalscorer Aleksandar Mitrovic, with the club citing “ankle pain” as the reason for his absence.
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