Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has confirmed that Erling Haaland is fit and return to return for their Premier League encounter against Southampton on Saturday evening.

Haaland has scored 42 goals this season, but he missed City’s 4-1 win over Liverpool last weekend because he was hurting his groyne while playing for Norway.

His return is a big boost for City’s last two months of the season, when they are trying to win three trophies.

“He trained the last two days really good,” said Guardiola. “He will be ready.”

Just three days after their trip to St. Mary’s, City will host Bayern Munich for the first leg of their Champions League quarter-final.

But Guardiola said he was only thinking about catching up to Arsenal at the top of the Premier League.

The Gunners are eight points ahead, but Mikel Arteta’s City team has a game in hand and will play Arsenal at the Etihad Stadium later this month.

“Bayern is our last thought,” said the City boss. “It’s Southampton — the Premier League is every day, every week.”

Even though Southampton is at the bottom of the table, they surprised City by knocking them out of the League Cup when they last played.

In their last five trips to St. Mary’s, City has only won twice, so Guardiola is expecting another tough game.

“Now every team is playing for something,” he said. “Every game has its own characteristics and you have to be ready, Southampton have always been so tough.

“Always it’s been a tough, tough game. Tomorrow won’t be an exception.”