“‘I don’t like Erling’ – Pep Guardiola cracks Manchester City team selection joke for Nottingham Forest”

Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola lightened the mood at his pre-match press conference on Tuesday afternoon with a tongue-in-cheek declaration that star striker Erling Haaland has been permanently dropped, moments after confirming the Norwegian could return against Nottingham Forest on Wednesday night.

City head to the City Ground looking for a seventh straight victory in all competitions and aiming to trim Arsenal’s five-point lead at the Premier League summit, albeit having played one game more than the Gunners. Guardiola’s side edged Leeds United 1-0 at Elland Road at the weekend through Antoine Semenyo’s second-half strike, a fixture Haaland sat out after sustaining a minor training-ground knock.

Asked whether the 25-year-old will be reinstated against Forest, Guardiola grinned: “We won 0-1, he’s not going to play in any more games until the end of the season. I don’t like Erling,” before quickly adding that the forward remains “massively important” to the club’s quadruple pursuit.

Guardiola stressed that injuries are an inevitable part of a marathon campaign and praised Haaland’s overall contribution, noting the striker has featured in “a lot, a lot of games” and directly influenced countless goals. The Catalan coach will assess his leading marksman ahead of kick-off, with the FA Cup fifth-round trip to Newcastle also on the horizon.

Teenage midfielder Nico O’Reilly, who lasted 70 minutes against Leeds before an ankle issue forced him off, is similarly being monitored. Should either player fall short, Guardiola could turn to Tijjani Reijnders as part of the rotation policy designed to keep his squad fresh for the season-defining weeks ahead.

With the Carabao Cup final against Arsenal looming on 22 March, every fixture is effectively a final for City, leaving Guardiola to balance immediate results with long-term fitness.