Erling Haaland Ruled Out of Manchester City's Clash Against Liverpool Due to Injury

Manchester City striker Erling Haaland has been excluded from the squad for today's Premier League match against Liverpool due to a knee injury. Haaland sustained the injury during City's 4-0 victory over Newcastle last weekend.

Despite being an unused substitute in the midweek Champions League defeat to Real Madrid, his condition has not improved sufficiently for him to participate in today's fixture. 

Manager Pep Guardiola addressed speculation regarding Haaland's absence, particularly comments suggesting the striker was avoiding a matchup against Real Madrid's Antonio Rüdiger. Guardiola refuted these claims, emphasizing that Haaland was eager to play but was physically unable due to the knee injury. 

In Haaland's absence, Manchester City will rely on alternative attacking options as they face Liverpool at the Etihad Stadium. The match is set to kick off at 5:30 PM GMT.