It is Manchester City’s goal to have both Kevin De Bruyne and Ernst Haaland back for the Club World Cup this week.

With a foot ailment, the prolific Norwegian striker missed his third straight match over the weekend as City was predicted to draw 2-2 with Crystal Palace before flying to Saudi Arabia for the mid-season competition.

While De Bruyne hasn’t played since the season’s first game and is unlikely to appear in Jeddah, he has nevertheless joined his teammates.

The two athletes have been added to the Club World Cup roster. Get all the most recent Man City injury updates and return schedules here.

Erling Haaland

Haaland has been absent for City’s last three games with a “bone-stress reaction” in his foot, for which he travelled to Spain during the week to seek medical advice.

Guardiola said Haaland had been dealing with the problem since the defeat at Aston Villa and that both the striker and club were taking the injury “week by week, day by day”.

Updating reporters again on Friday, the City boss said Haaland would not be fit to face Crystal Palace on Saturday and doubted his fitness for their first Club World Cup game on Tuesday, December 19.

“He arrived back today, we see the doctors and we will see. He’s had treatment [away],” Guardiola told reporters. “Hopefully he can travel to Saudi tomorrow [for the Club World Cup] after the game, we see if he plays the first game or second.

“I dont think [he will be fit to face Palace but] maybe he surprises me. I’m not worried, it’s not fractured [bone], just stress. Sometimes players recover quickly. Day by day, week by week, we will see how he feels. The moment he doesn’t have pain he will play.”

Potential return date: Tuesday, December 19 in Club World Cup semi-final

Kevin De Bruyne

De Bruyne has not played for City since opening game of the season back in August, when he suffered a serious hamstring injury that required surgery.

The Belgian has been on the comeback trail since then, having revealed the extent of the injury and his operation in November by describing his hamstring as being like a “wet kitchen towel”.

Guardiola confirmed in the first week of December that De Bruyne had started running again outside on the grass, but had yet to train at all with his City team-mates, and has now joined his team-mates for the Club World Cup.

Potential return date: Unknown

Jeremy Doku

The winger also sat out the game against Aston Villa, Luton, Red Star Belgrade and Crystal Palace having been forced off against Tottenham.

He has joined his team-mates on the plane to Saudi Arabia on Saturday night but it remains to be seen if he will play a part.

“It’s muscular, it’s not a big, big issue like Kevin was for example,” Guardiola said after the win over Luton. “We have to think about it as well because of his explosiveness.

“We have to be careful. I don’t know when he will be ready, maybe one week or two weeks he will be ready again.”

Potential return date: Tuesday, December 19 in Club World Cup semi-final

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