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Manchester City face EFL Championship outfit Huddersfield Town in the FA Cup third round today (January 7) but Erling Haaland has failed to make the team.
Haaland has been sidelined with a stress reaction of the bone which has seen him miss the Cityzens' last eight games across competitions. That includes Pep Guardiola's side's FIFA Club World Cup triumph in Saudi Arabia last month.
The Norweigan superstar's absence has been glaring, given his electric start to life in the Premier League with Manchester City. He picked up where he left off last season with 19 goals in 22 games across competitions before his injury.
However, City have fared well, with the likes of Julian Alvarez and Phil Foden stepping up to the plate. They head into today's clash with Huddersfield as heavy favorites despite Haaland's absence.
One player who could make his first appearance since being sidelined for five months is Kevin De Bruyne. The Belgian playmaker has returned from a long-term hamstring injury and he's been selected on Guardiola's bench.
Guardiola has opted to start Stefan Ortega in goal, with Manuel Akanji, Ruben Dias, Josko Gvardiol, and Sergio Gomez in defense.
Meanwhile, Rico Lewis, Mateo Kovacic, and Oscar Bobb start in midfield. Foden and Alvarez are joined by Jack Grealish in attack.
One fan wants to see De Bruyne in action:
"Better see KDB off the bench."
Another fan is disappointed Haaland misses out:
"The curse. Where is Haaland, man? He has been absent for more than a month."
Here's how fans on X (formerly Twitter) reacted to Manchester City's lineup to face Huddersfield:
Norway boss Stale Solbakken on how Manchester City superstar Erling Haaland is perceived in his homeland
Haaland has enjoyed a meteoric rise in European football that has taken him to the pinnacle of the sport. The 23-year-old has broken plenty of records, including becoming the first player in Premier League history to score 36 goals in a 38-game campaign.
The former Borussia Dortmund striker has become the poster boy of not only Manchester City but Premier League football. But, back in Norway, his rise to superstardom is still viewed as remarkable.
That's according to Norway manager Stale Solbakken who lauded his free-scoring frontman. He said (via The Mirror):
"I think we in Norway have a bit of a hard time taking on the status that Erling has on a worldwide basis. That the BBC voted him sports star of the year ahead of Max Verstappen puts everything into perspective. But he is very good at prioritising what is most important - namely performing on the pitch."
Last season's UEFA Champions League top scorer finished second in the Ballon d'Or rankings in October, only behind World Cup winner Lionel Messi. He won the PFA Player of the Year award.
