Pep Guardiola admits Erling Haaland is having difficulty walking down stairs, as the Manchester City manager shares a concerning fitness update on the striker before the Liverpool match.

Pep Guardiola has revealed that Erling Haaland experienced discomfort while walking before Manchester City’s Champions League clash with Real Madrid.

The Norwegian striker remained an unused substitute on Wednesday night as City crashed out of Europe following a 6-3 aggregate defeat. Despite Haaland’s brace in the first leg keeping City’s hopes alive, his involvement in the return fixture was uncertain after sustaining an injury in the weekend win over Newcastle.

Guardiola was initially hopeful that Haaland could feature at the Bernabeu, making his absence from both the starting XI and the match itself a surprise. However, the City boss later disclosed that the 24-year-old informed him he was not fit to play and struggled with movement, even on stairs.

“Haaland tried to train yesterday,” Guardiola said. “The medical scans suggest he is fine after the Newcastle injury, but he had discomfort walking, especially on stairs.”

City now anxiously await updates on Haaland’s availability for their Premier League showdown with Liverpool on Sunday.

John Stones is also a doubt for the clash at the Etihad after being forced off just eight minutes into the Madrid game. The England defender has already missed 16 matches this season due to injuries.

Additionally, Guardiola will be without Rodri, who is expected to be sidelined for the rest of the campaign, and Manuel Akanji, who could be out for up to 10 weeks with an abductor injury.

Oscar Bobb is another absentee, as the Norwegian forward continues his recovery from a fractured leg sustained in training before the season began.