Guardiola hopeful Haaland fit to play in top-two clash with Liverpool

MANCHESTER, England : Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola is hopeful prolific scorer Erling Haaland can play against Liverpool on Saturday in a clash between the Premier League's top two teams after he withdrew from the Norway squad during the international break.

Haaland injured his ankle in Norway's 2-0 win over the Faroe Islands on Nov. 16 and returned to City for treatment, missing Norway's game against Scotland.

Haaland tops this season's Premier League scoring chart with 13 goals, three more than Liverpool's Mohamed Salah.

"He trained with niggles (on Thursday), hopefully he can train today and we will see," Guardiola told reporters on Friday. "We have a few problems, the same as many clubs. We will see in the training session and we will see (Saturday). Always it's Plan A."

City lead the Premier League on 28 points after 12 games, a point ahead of Juergen Klopp's Liverpool, who are unbeaten in their last five league games.

Guardiola had kind words for the Liverpool manager.

"I think we are all friends," he said. "We know each other quite well. Of course, the time goes forward, Juergen has been eight years at Liverpool and of course it's not the same players since the start. He has rebuilt the team.

"(Liverpool's) Trent Alexander-Arnold can play inside and outside. But the idea is quite similar and (they have) always been our best rivals some seasons... Top club and team. Looking forward to it."

Only three points separate the top five teams in a tight title race.