Erling Haaland was all smiles as he rejoined Kevin De Bruyne during Manchester City's Club World Cup victory over Urawa Reds.
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De Bruyne joined the squad after a lengthy layoffHaaland excited to have De Bruyne back in the foldBut both players will not hit the pitch anytime soonWHAT HAPPENED?
De Bruyne has been eased back into training to step up his recovery from the hamstring injury he sustained in City's opening Premier League game of the season against Burnley. Haaland is also nursing a foot injury which will likely see him miss the entire Club World Cup. The duo has still travelled to Saudi Arabia with the rest of the squad, though, and the Norwegian is excited to finally share the dressing room again with the midfield maestro.
AdvertisementGettyTHE BIGGER PICTURE
Despite taking the pitch without two of their key players in Haaland and De Bruyne, City secured their spot in the Club World Cup final by defeating Urawa Red Diamonds 3-0. The victory sets the stage for a showdown against Fluminense on Friday in FIFA's prestigious showpiece event to determine the world's best team. Matheus Nunes broke the deadlock at the end of the first half before Mateo Kovacic and Bernardo Silva added to the scoreline after the break.
DID YOU KNOW?
If City beat Fluminense they will clinch their first Club World Cup trophy in their history. It would also mark the 12th major trophy of Pep Guardiola's reign at the Etihad Stadium, which began back in 2016.
GettyWHAT NEXT?
Haaland and De Bruyne will miss the title decider on Friday, which means Guardiola has to depend on the likes of Bernardo and Julian Alvarez for goals. While De Bruyne will also definitely miss the Premier League fixture against Everton on December 27, there is still uncertainty over Haaland's participation.
