Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola insists that in-form striker Erling Haaland could feature against Liverpool in this mouth-watering fixture on Saturday afternoon.

The prolific striker, who has scored 42 goals in all competitions this season, was unavailable for Norway’s two Euro 2024 qualifying matches during the recent international break.

This season, Haaland has scored six hat-tricks in 19 appearances at City’s Etihad Stadium, including eight goals in his last two games against RB Leipzig and Burnley.

“Erling is recovering. We’ll see this afternoon. The last training is at 4pm (1500GMT) and we will see how he feels,” City boss Pep Guardiola told reporters on Friday.

“Yesterday I spoke with him and he feels good. But we will see.”

Guardiola must perform a delicate balancing act before City’s season-defining stretch.

They are eight points behind Premier League leaders Arsenal, but have a game in hand and will host the Gunners in April.

Before then, City will face Bayern Munich in the quarterfinals of the Champions League, the only major trophy Guardiola has yet to win as City’s head coach.

“Life is risk in these stages. You have to take it,” added Guardiola on whether he would roll the dice on playing Haaland.

“We’ve scored a lot of goals this season. He scored an incredible amount of goals. But in the past, we always scored a lot of goals.”

City will be without England midfielder Phil Foden, who had his appendix removed last week and underwent surgery.

“The doctors tell me two or three weeks (out). We will see how he develops,” Guardiola said.

City and Liverpool have finished first and second in the Premier League three of the last four seasons.

However, after a series of title battles, Liverpool will enter the Etihad 19 points behind Guardiola’s squad, in sixth place.

However, Jurgen Klopp’s squad defeated the opposition 1-0 at Anfield earlier in the season.

“Liverpool remain an exceptional team,” added Guardiola.

“My opinion doesn’t change for a season that’s had its up and downs. Every team can have these up and downs.”