Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has confirmed that star striker Erling Haaland could be rested for the upcoming fourth-round tie of the EFL Cup against Swansea City. The club is navigating a demanding schedule and managing key players, with Guardiola signalling that Haaland’s participation will be determined after assessing his fitness.
In Tuesday’s press conference, Guardiola revealed that Haaland picked up a knock at the end of the recent Premier League defeat to Aston Villa and that the decision to include him in the squad will come after training later that day. Guardiola said, “Erling, I haven’t seen him today but it was a knock and day-by-day it is better. Now we train this afternoon where we will find out more on how he feels and decide if he can play.”
He then added with clarity on rotation: “Yeah, this is a game where we could rest Erling.”
The situation underscores the way City are approaching the Cup tie. While the Championship side Swansea may appear the underdog, Guardiola emphasised he will not be taking them lightly.
“It’s not my first time. I have played 10 seasons here and I’ve played many times with League Cups, FA Cups,” he said. “Teams from lower divisions we have always taken seriously otherwise we wouldn’t have had the success we’ve had in the past so we prepare the same way. Incredible focus, sometimes even more.”
In addition to the Haaland update, Guardiola brought news of other key players. Midfielder Rodri remains unavailable, still recovering and training with the squad albeit not yet match-ready.
He explained, “Rodri still is not ready, he is getting better, training with us. No, I don’t have an idea on when he will be available. Hopefully soon but not yet.” Another young option, Abdukodir Khusanov, has been cleared to feature, with Guardiola saying he is “ready to play a few minutes” against Swansea.
Rotation appears certain. Speaking about the Cup tie specifically, Guardiola acknowledged the opportunity to give players with fewer minutes a chance. “The Carabao Cup has always been like that. The guys who take a lot of minutes be ready to show me and show themselves. And some rest especially for the players who play a lot of minutes.”
City’s schedule across domestic and European competitions leaves little margin for error, so this tie presents a balancing act between ambition and player welfare.
Haaland’s knock came during Sunday’s 1-0 defeat to Villa, his first game this season without scoring for club or country. While the performance was overshadowed by the mishap, it also provided the coaching staff a reminder of the physical demands placed on the squad’s principal attacking threat.
Resting him could be a prudent move toward preserving his form for the long term, rather than taking immediate risk.
The ramifications are interesting. On one hand, City remain overwhelming favourites in this tie—Swansea are mid-table in the Championship and will be viewed by most as the underdog. Yet, by choosing to rotate heavily, Guardiola shows awareness of the depth of his squad and his trust in fringe players.
On the other hand, the decision to rest Haaland underlines how he is viewed not only as a goal-scoring machine but as a critical asset to be managed intelligently across competitions.
From Swansea’s perspective, the possibility of facing a City side without its leading striker will boost belief, but they should hardly expect relaxed opposition.
Guardiola’s comments underline that the club will maintain the same intensity even if personnel change. “We prepare the same way,” he stressed. Historically, lower-division teams have derailed City in cup competitions when complacency crept in, a fact Guardiola seems mindful of.
It is worth noting that after Haaland, other first-team regulars such as Kalvin Phillips are also under consideration. Guardiola confirmed Phillips “is always an unbelievable guy. It is a joy to have him in the locker room,” but added that his selection for the Swansea match is uncertain. “For a start no, but maybe he will travel with us.”