Manchester City’s Erling Haaland’s Ankle Injury Raises Concers Over FIFA WC Appearance, Here Are 2 Possible Replacements For The Norwegian

Striker Erling Haaland from Manchester City needed to depart after scoring an equalizer during the FA Cup quarter-final against Bournemouth before stadium officials observed him leaving the game with a protective boot and crutches. A website post by City disclosed that their Norwegian forward Haaland suffered an injury throughout their successful FA Cup quarter-final confrontation at AFC Bournemouth on Sunday. The Manchester City medical staff conducted preliminary testing on Erling in Manchester on Monday morning before he moved on to receive a specialist examination to determine the full seriousness of his injury.

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It appears Erling Haaland will be out for a while following his injury against Bournemouth. 📸🇳🇴

The Norwegian was seen walking in difficulty with crutches after the game in the Vitality Stadium yesterday. pic.twitter.com/ggO1BbnGK3

— HF World (@hfworld_) March 31, 2025

The club expects Haaland’s return this season including summer FIFA Club World Cup participation although the wording implies he will miss several weeks of playing time. The unavailability of Haaland now forces Pep Guardiola to choose his starting front line. Omar Marmoush from January serves as the top candidate to fill the central striker role. Since moving to Manchester City Marmoush has mostly operated from left-wing but he spent most of his time at Eintracht Frankfurt as a center-forward.

The tactical realignment throughout City’s squad will likely result in Guardiola changing his formation while maintaining his team’s offensive prowess throughout the crucial part of the season.

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The absence of Haaland creates an opportunity for Jack Grealish to play more regularly in the team. Grealish faces tough times at Manchester City in 2025 since he remains absent from all Premier League starts during this period even though he entered the field only three times. A possible move to the center position by Marmoush reduces Grealish’s opposition to his primary left winger position. Guardiola prefers Savinho to occupy the right side but Grealish faces most of his competition for playing time against Jeremy Doku on the left-wing position.