Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has confirmed that Erling Haaland is fit and available to play in Wednesday's Premier League encounter with Burnley at the Etihad Stadium.
The Norwegian goal machine has been sidelined since the start of December with a "bone stress reaction" in his foot and has subsequently missed each of City's last 10 games in all competitions.
However, Haaland has built up his fitness in first-team training and Guardiola revealed at his press conference on Tuesday that the 23-year-old will return to the matchday squad along with defender Manuel Akanji, who has shaken off a knee problem that has forced him to miss the last two matches.
Guardiola named a strong Citizens lineup for last Friday's 1-0 win at Tottenham Hotspur in the FA Cup fourth round, and he is unlikely to make widespread changes on Wednesday, although first-choice goalkeeper Ederson is set to replace Stefan Ortega between the sticks.
A back four of Kyle Walker, Ruben Dias, Nathan Ake and Josko Gvardiol could remain intact, although Akanji and John Stones will be pushing to start having recovered from injury, while an impressive display against Spurs from Mateo Kovacic could be rewarded with another start in the engine room alongside lynchpin Rodri.
Jeremy Doku and Jack Grealish will both battle with Oscar Bobb, who started against Spurs, for a place on the left flank, while Guardiola has revealed that Kevin De Bruyne will soon be ready to start matches having featured as a substitute in each of the last three games since recovering from a long-term hamstring injury.
In-form duo Phil Foden and Bernardo Silva are expected to feature in the final third along with Julian Alvarez, who will likely continue as the central striker if Guardiola opts to gradually reintroduce Haaland back into the first-team fold.
Manchester City possible starting lineup: Ederson; Walker, Dias, Ake, Gvardiol; Rodri, Kovacic; Bernardo, Foden, Doku; Alvarez
Oliver Thomas
