Manchester City striker Erling Haaland remains a doubt for the Premier League champions' clash with Liverpool at the Etihad on Sunday, live on Sky Sports, as the striker recovers from a knee injury, manager Pep Guardiola said in his pre-match press conference on Friday.
Haaland hurt his right knee late in City's 4-0 win over Newcastle United last Saturday and did not play in the club's 3-1 loss at Real Madrid on Wednesday which saw them eliminated from the Champions League at the last-16 stage.
Asked about Haaland's possible availability to face the league leaders this weekend, Guardiola said he was unsure and that the Norway international will undergo a test on Saturday.
"Maybe, but I don't know yet," said Guardiola. "Tomorrow [Saturday] we will know it. We will train today and he will test, but I don't know."
Haaland has scored 27 goals in all competitions this season but new signing Omar Marmoush last week netted a hat-trick against Newcastle, suggesting City do now have other good attacking options.
Guardiola said: "It is better to have Erling on the pitch than not have him, obviously, and with Erling we are in the position we are right now.
"Everybody is responsible for the good things and the bad things in the team, but of course with Erling we are stronger."
Centre-back John Stones, meanwhile, could be out for a prolonged spell after suffering a thigh injury in the opening minutes of the loss at the Bernabeu Stadium on Wednesday.
It is the latest setback in what has been a frustrating campaign for the England international, having made just 20 appearances.
Guardiola said: "He is injured, it is a difficult one and in the next hours or days we will know if he needs surgery or not."
Stones joins fellow defender Manuel Akanji and midfielder Rodri on the long-term casualty list.
It's really difficult to say in such a low moment, but I think that the facts are laid pretty bare that Man City were so far below the level they had to be to compete against Real Madrid in Spain, wrote Sky Sports News reporter Ben Ransom in Madrid.
Since I arrived in Madrid a couple of days ago, there was this growing belief that despite the first leg, despite the way that ended, City would come here and really challenge Madrid, would score, would trouble them.
I think that was the most concerning thing from Pep Guardiola's point of view on Wednesday night - that the team were not the team we're used to seeing. They were unrecognisable in the sense that with the ball they didn't cause enough problems.
