Manchester City started their first Premier League game of the season without Erling Haaland as the Norwegian superstar sat out his side's trip to Luton Town due to injury.
While Pep Guardiola's men ultimately returned to winning ways in that fixture, coming back from a goal down to win 2-1, the reigning English champions were not at their best in the absence of the 23-year-old goalscoring machine.
And while Haaland's issue is not serious, Guardiola admitted after the final whistle that his talisman forward is a doubt for their Premier League clash with Crystal Palace and their FIFA Club World Cup semifinal later this month.
As revealed by Pep, the Norwegian suffered a foot injury in Wednesday's 1-0 defeat away to Aston Villa and struggled to walk. He also added that the player did not break any bone in his foot and while he might miss their FIFA Club World Cup semifinal, there is hope of him recovering in time to make the trip to Saudi Arabia.
"It's stress (on the) bone,' Guardiola said, as per the Daily Mail. "Just stress. Please don't ask if his foot is broken. He was not ready for this game, I don't think he will be ready for Crystal Palace.
"Hopefully he can be ready for Saudi Arabia. Week-by-week will dictate how he feels."
Haaland is not the only injury Man City are currently dealing with. Kevin de Bruyne's long-term hamstring issue is well-documented and while the Belgian ace has been out since Matchweek 1 of the ongoing Premier League, the midfielder could return during or just after the festive period.
Additionally, summer signing Jeremy Doku, who has begun life at the Etihad Stadium extremely well, has been sidelined recently by a hamstring issue as well. However, Guardiola clarified that this is not serious and that due to his explosive style of play, he will be kept out of the lineup for a couple of weeks as a precautionary measure.
Manchester City's next game is in the UEFA Champions League, with the treble winners visiting Crvena zvezda in their final group-stage fixture. Not only have Pep's men already secured progression to the round of 16, but the Cityzens have also won the group, meaning a host of changes will likely be made for this fixture.
The club's main focus will be returning to form in the Premier League after suffering a four-game winless run before their victory at Luton Town. Fortunately for the English giants, they are only three points behind second-placed Arsenal and four adrift of league leaders Liverpool.
