Prolific striker Erling Haaland was not part of Manchester City’s squad to play Liverpool on Saturday after failing to recover from a groin injury.

The Norway international, who has scored 42 goals in all competitions this season, had to withdraw from his country’s European Championship qualifiers against Spain and Georgia last week because of the problem.

“He is not fit. He doesn’t feel proper,” City manager Pep Guardiola said ahead of the game. “It is not a big issue but today he was not right.”

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

The game was important for both teams, with City eight points behind first-place Arsenal with a game in hand, and Liverpool fighting to secure a top-four spot for Champions League qualification.

Guardiola earlier this week said the 22-year-old Haaland would be given the chance to prove his fitness during the team’s training session on Friday. Haaland’s father, Alf-Inge, was quoted by Norwegian TV during the week saying his son had traveled to Barcelona for treatment.

World Cup winner Julian Alvarez started up front for the defending champions along with Riyad Mahrez and Jack Grealish. City was also without winger Phil Foden, who is recovering from appendix surgery.

City will play at Southampton next weekend before a mid-week match against Bayern Munich in the semifinals of the Champions League. -AP