Manchester City reaches the FA Cup semi-final against Chelsea with the hangover from the intense Champions League match against real Madrid. A match that ended in a draw that took the team to the penalty shootout, where they were finally defeated.
This will be the third time City and Chelsea have met this season. In the two previous meetings, both teams drew: a 1-1 at the Etihad and a thrilling 4-4 at Stamford Bridge, which many consider the best match in the Premier League so far. In that match, Erling Haaland was the main protagonist with a double.
However, Haaland will not be present in the FA Cup semi-final. The Norwegian player had to be substituted in the match against Real Madrid due to muscle discomfort.
Why isn't Haaland playing?
Pep Guardiola confirmed at a press conference that Haaland suffers a muscle injury. “Kevin De Bruyne seems to be fine. He was very tired and after five months injured it is normal. Erling has some muscle“said the Catalan coach. Haaland is expected to return to action next week.
Haaland's loss is a hard blow for City, since the Norwegian is one of the best forwards in the world. However, the team has players of the caliber of Phil Foden, Julián Álvarez and Jack Grealish to make up for his absence.
Chelsea, for its part, also reaches the semi-final with high morale and will seek to take advantage of Haaland's loss to hit the table and get closer to the FA Cup title. An exciting and close match is expected at Wembley. Both teams have arguments to win, and Haaland's absence only increases the uncertainty about the final result.
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