Haaland Available for Man City Game at Southampton

Football - FA Cup - Quarter-Final - Manchester City v Burnley - Etihad Stadium, Manchester, Britain - March 18, 2023 Manchester City's Erling Braut Haaland celebrates after the match. (Reuters)
Football - FA Cup - Quarter-Final - Manchester City v Burnley - Etihad Stadium, Manchester, Britain - March 18, 2023 Manchester City's Erling Braut Haaland celebrates after the match. (Reuters)
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Haaland Available for Man City Game at Southampton

Football - FA Cup - Quarter-Final - Manchester City v Burnley - Etihad Stadium, Manchester, Britain - March 18, 2023 Manchester City's Erling Braut Haaland celebrates after the match. (Reuters)
Football - FA Cup - Quarter-Final - Manchester City v Burnley - Etihad Stadium, Manchester, Britain - March 18, 2023 Manchester City's Erling Braut Haaland celebrates after the match. (Reuters)

Prolific striker Erling Haaland is available to play Saturday when Manchester City visits last-place Southampton, manager Pep Guardiola said Friday.

The Norway international returned to training this week after a groin injury forced him to miss City's 4-1 victory over Liverpool last weekend.

Guardiola confirmed Haaland will be in the squad for the Premier League game ahead of a visit from Bayern Munich for a Champions League first-leg quarterfinal match on Tuesday.

“(He) trained in the last two days, really good. (He) will be ready,” Guardiola said at a news conference.

The Spanish manager said the Champions League game has no bearing on how much Haaland will potentially play against Southampton.

“Bayern Munich is the last thought. It's Southampton. Premier League is every day, every week,” Guardiola said.

Haaland, who has scored 42 goals in all competitions this season, had to withdraw from his country’s European Championship qualifiers against Spain and Georgia two weeks ago because of the injury.

Haaland leads the Premier League scoring charts with 28 goals and has hit nine in his last three games in all competitions.

City trails first-place Arsenal by eight points.



Zelenskiy Lauds Champion Usyk’s Perseverance in Victory over Fury in Riyadh

 Boxers Britain's Tyson Fury, right, and Ukraine's Oleksandr Usyk compete during their WBA, WBO, and WBC world heavyweight title fight in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, Saturday, Dec. 21, 2024. (AP)
Boxers Britain's Tyson Fury, right, and Ukraine's Oleksandr Usyk compete during their WBA, WBO, and WBC world heavyweight title fight in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, Saturday, Dec. 21, 2024. (AP)
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Zelenskiy Lauds Champion Usyk’s Perseverance in Victory over Fury in Riyadh

 Boxers Britain's Tyson Fury, right, and Ukraine's Oleksandr Usyk compete during their WBA, WBO, and WBC world heavyweight title fight in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, Saturday, Dec. 21, 2024. (AP)
Boxers Britain's Tyson Fury, right, and Ukraine's Oleksandr Usyk compete during their WBA, WBO, and WBC world heavyweight title fight in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, Saturday, Dec. 21, 2024. (AP)

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy hailed Oleksandr Usyk's victory over Tyson Fury to retain the WBA (Super), WBO and WBC world heavyweight titles in Riyadh, saying the boxer embodied the fighting spirit of Ukrainians.

Undefeated Usyk, who took Fury's WBC belt in their first bout in May, beat the British two-time world champion in the rematch by unanimous decision, handing him the second loss of his professional career.

"Victory! So important and so needed by all of us right now," Zelenskiy, who had led Ukraine in its war with Russia since Moscow invaded its neighbor in 2022, wrote on X.

"By defending his championship belt, Oleksandr Usyk proves: we are Ukrainians and we will not give up what is ours! No matter how hard it gets - we will overcome everything.

"Whether it is in the ring, on the battlefield or in the diplomatic arena - we will fight and we will not give up what is ours! Congratulations on your victory, Cossack! Congratulations on your victory, Ukraine!"

Former world champion Wladimir Klitschko, who enlisted in the Ukrainian military reserves before Russia's invasion, was at the Kingdom Arena to witness Usyk's victory.

"Ukraine is fortunate to have you. You're a true standard-bearer of our resilience... glory to Ukraine," Klitschko wrote on X.