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<\/p>\nErling Haaland could miss out on the upcoming Club World Cup <\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Pep Guardiola remained hopeful Erling Haaland will be fit enough to travel with the Manchester City squad to the Club World Cup in Saudi Arabia.<\/p>\n
Haaland has missed City\u2019s last two matches with what the manager described as a \u201cbone stress reaction\u201d in his foot, and is expected to be managed on a weekly basis.<\/p>\n
However, the Norway international is not expected to feature against Crystal Palace on Saturday 16 December.<\/p>\n
The club are then due to depart for Saudi Arabia, and will play in the Club World Cup semi-final on Tuesday 19 December.<\/p>\n
"Hopefully he can travel to Saudi [for the Club World Cup], whether he can play the first game or the second, I don\u2019t know,\u201d Guardiola said.<\/p>\n
"I\u2019m not worried. It is just stress. Day by day, week by week, we have to see how he is."<\/p>\n
Haaland returned from treatment on Friday and will be assessed by the club doctors, although Guardiola insisted the injury was not a fracture, just \u201cstress\u201d.<\/p>\n
Should the striker not be fit enough to travel, his next match could be after Christmas, when City travel to Everton on Wednesday 27 December.<\/p>\n
Moving on from the discussions over their talisman striker, Guardiola praised England international Jack Grealish as a \u201ctypical number 10\u201d and praised his versatility.<\/p>\n
When asked if the former Aston Villa man could play in another position, the City boss said: \u201cWe don\u2019t have time to work. Yesterday was recovery, today is pre-match.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe don\u2019t have time to understand (new positions) without training sessions. Sometimes in 10-15 minutes we can do it, Jack can understand immediately.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe can play in different positions, in the middle. He\u2019s a typical number 10.\u201d<\/p>\n
Matches against Crystal Palace have not been the most straightforward for the defending champions in recent years, they were beaten 2-0 at home by the Eagles back in 2021-22, while also being held to a draw at Selhurst Park that same year.<\/p>\n
However, City have won four of their last six matches against Palace, stretching back to the 2020-21 season.<\/p>\n