Guardiola delivers good news to the City fans

 Guardiola delivers 

Guardiola delivers good news to the City fans

Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola said Premier League top scorer Erling Haaland has "really improved" and may return to play against Fulham on Saturday.

Guardiola did not venture against Seville in the Champions League midweek, after City had already taken the lead in the group, after the Norwegian suffered an injury against his former club, Borussia Dortmund, the previous week.

Haaland, who blended quickly in the Premier League after moving to Manchester in the summer transfer period, scored 22 goals in various competitions, and he may have a chance to increase his impressive tally on Saturday.

Guardiola told a news conference on Friday, "He has become much better. We will determine (his position) today. It is a positive step, he started training today and we will see in the afternoon, we will take his opinion into account, and the opinion of the doctor (if he plays) 90 minutes or less, we will see."

The Spanish coach praised Barcelona defender Gerard Pique after he announced his retirement this week, and his last match with his team, with whom he won the Champions League twice while Guardiola was his coach, will be on Saturday.

Guardiola added, "Surprising news. I know his father and his mother, he is a wonderful person. He was good in the big matches, he was always at the highest level. All the big clubs need players of this type.

"He won everything with Barcelona and Spain. It's time (to retire), the future is going to be bright, he's a smart boy. It's a great honor to coach him, we've had four fantastic years together.

"His dream came true, he spent 13, 14 or 15 years (with Barcelona)."

The City coach, whose side are two points behind leaders Arsenal, said ahead of the weekend's games that England duo Calvin Phelps and Kyle Walker were not ready to appear in the squad.