Pep Guardiola says Manchester City are "stronger" with Erling Haaland, though his availability for Sunday's clash with Liverpool remains uncertain.
Haaland was an unused substitute on Wednesday as City bowed out of the Champions League following their 6-3 aggregate defeat by Real Madrid in the knockout phase playoffs.
The Norway forward, who has scored 19 Premier League goals this season, watched from the sidelines at Santiago Bernabeu, having sustained a knee injury during the closing stages of the victory over Newcastle United last weekend.
Guardiola says Haaland will be assessed on Saturday, and he hopes his number nine is fit to feature at Anfield.
"It is better to have Erling on the pitch than not have him, obviously," the Spaniard said. "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."
Let's take a look back at some memorable Etihad moments against Liverpoolpic.twitter.com/U1TOpjprJd
— Manchester City (@ManCity) February 21, 2025
Haaland's potential return would be a welcome relief for City, whose injury problems continued with John Stones forced off after just eight minutes against Madrid.
With 11 of his squad aged 30 or over by September - including the likes of Stones, Kevin De Bruyne and Bernardo Silva - Guardiola believes several players cannot "sustain" the club's busy schedule, and may have to leave as a result.
"We have to sit down with the doctors, with physios, with the players, with the agents, and be clear that some of them cannot sustain every three days, every month, every two months, playing every three, four days," the City boss added.
"So, this is the reality. There's one more year, [then] a World Cup.
"It's a lot of games. More than 50 games is too much for the players in the season. It's too much for the human being, for the body cannot sustain it."