Haaland sits out Man City Club World Cup semifinal

Manchester City will be without the injured Erling Haaland as the European champions aim to book its place in the final of the Club World Cup against Urawa Reds in Jeddah on Tuesday.

Manchester City’s Erling Braut Haaland. | Photo Credit: Action Images via Reuters

Manchester City will be without the injured Erling Haaland as the European champions aim to book its place in the final of the Club World Cup against Urawa Reds in Jeddah on Tuesday.

Haaland has missed City’s two previous matches due to a foot injury and faces a race against time to be fit for Friday’s final, should Pep Guardiola’s men advance.

 Kevin De Bruyne was not included among the substitutes for City since suffering a hamstring injury in August.

But the Belgian is not included in the City squad, while Jeremy Doku also misses out due to injury.

De Bruyne had been a surprise addition on Monday at the team’s light training session at the King Abdullah Sports City Stadium.

The 32-year-old playmaker had surgery on a hamstring injury more than four months ago. He last played for the European champions on Aug. 11 against Burnley, leaving the field just 23 minutes into the first game of the Premier League season.

It was the same problem that forced the Belgium playmaker to be substituted in the first half of the Champions League final against Inter Milan in June.

In Haaland’s absence, Julian Alvarez is surprisingly relegated to the bench with Phil Foden expected to start in a central forward role for the English champions.

(With inputs from AP)