Pep Guardiola receives injury boost with in-form Man City star set for return against Wolves – but he will miss Champions League clash in Norway

Manchester City are hopeful that Matheus Nunes will be fit to face former club Wolves this weekend.

Pep Guardiola’s squad travelled to Norway for their Champions League tie with Bodo/Glimt without their first-choice right back.

Nunes has been left at home recuperating from a bout of flu that saw him miss Saturday’s defeat by Manchester United at Old Trafford.

The 27-year-old wants to be in contention for involvement when they face Wolves at the Etihad Stadium.

Nunes has featured in 19 Premier League matches this season and made the right back spot his own after struggling to nail down a regular spot in his first two years at the club.

The Portugal international’s performances have been a highlight of City’s campaign and his absence and Old Trafford was keenly felt – indicating his drastic improvement over recent months.

Nunes has been a key performer for City this season but missed the defeat at Man United on Saturday due to illness

Guardiola will not be able to call upon Marc Guehi for the trip to Norway given the defender is not registered, while captain Bernardo Silva is suspended. Victory would secure a top-eight place and avoid a play-off.

The City boss won’t be able to give Erling Haaland a rest for the game on Tuesday night. 

Guardiola said last week that Haaland is exhausted, and the City striker was below-par in Saturday’s defeat by Manchester United in the Old Trafford derby.

He limped down the tunnel at half-time after having treatment following a challenge from Harry Maguire, and was then substituted in the 80th minute having made little impact on the game.

However, Guardiola is unable to give Haaland a breather until Omar Marmoush is available after the Africa Cup of Nations, and he doesn’t expect the Egypt striker to be on City’s flight to Norway on Monday. New signing Antoine Semenyo is ineligible for the tie.

Haaland is set to lead the attack again as he returns to his homeland, with Guardiola more likely to rest his star striker against Wolves or Galatasaray over the next week when Marmoush can deputise.

Asked if Marmoush will go to Norway, the City boss said: ‘No, I don’t think so. I don’t know when Omar comes and Erling is going to play. We need Erling and we need all of them.

Pep Guardiola said he cannot give Erling Haaland a rest for Tuesday’s game in Norway even though the striker is ‘exhausted’

‘Erling is so important for us. We are lucky to have Erling with what he has done.

‘We’ll see what happens next game. We have to travel to Norway and go in there and see how they recover. Not just physically. I can smell how they feel.

‘And after, we continue. We did it last season and we continue this one. We have a lot of important games, every three or four days.’

Guardiola refused to put City’s 2-0 defeat at Old Trafford down to Haaland’s fatigue or the unavailability of Marmoush, adding: ‘Omar is an exceptional player. He’s moving behind, he’s excited.

‘But it would be so poor for me to say that is why we didn’t get results today or the previous night because Omar is not here. It’s not fair for him, not fair for the team, not all the guys who are here day by day and try to do it.’