Manchester City to miss two key players vs Tottenham with latest Erling Haaland injury update

Manchester City will be without Erling Haaland for the FA Cup fourth round clash with Tottenham on Friday as Pep Guardiola once more ruled out the Premier League top scorer. Haaland hasn't played since December 6 but remains clear at the top of the scoring charts, though he did blank when the two sides met earlier in the season.

For Spurs it is a massive boost as they look to once more get one over Guardiola's men in north London. In five attempts the Spaniard is yet to win a game or have his side score a single goal at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, a record that Ange Postecoglou is keen to extend.

Now their chances have improvedwith Haaland once more being absent for City. He had returned to training during the winter break, a period that City spent in Abu Dhabi, but having suffered a setback last month there are no risks being taken. «He is on the verge of coming back,» Guardiola said on Thursday.

«Tomorrow he is not ready but he is close. Training camp was good, he trained some sessions, the last few days here he trained, but it is not perfect and we will wait a little bit more.»

Haaland has only managed to score once against Spurs in his three games so far, a decent record for the Lilywhites considering just how prolific he has been since arriving last summer. Since then, a 4-2 win in January last year, he has not been on the winning side in the two most recent meetings.

Spurs defeated City 1-0 at home last year before the dramatic 3-3 draw at the Etihad Stadium in December. Haaland played his part in that game, assisting what looked to be the winner late on before he exploded at full-time when play was pulled back despite Jack Grealish being through on goal.

UEFA chief resigns amid Man City 'guilty' FFP verdict with