Erling Haaland has struggled to shake off a foot injury, but Pep Guardiola expects him to be able to play a starring role for Manchester City at Leeds United on Wednesday.
Haaland has been in sensational form this season, leading the Premier League scoring charts with 18 goals after quickly settling into English football following his arrival from Borussia Dortmund.
However, he suffered an injury against Dortmund in October and has since been dealing with the ramifications of that problem, even with the club season pausing for the World Cup.
"The injury is completely different to last season," Guardiola said. "It was a knock in his foot in Dortmund when we played in the Champions League, and the doctor said that he has damaged his ligament in his foot.
"It's painful, it's not easy to recover, that's why he struggled, but [it is a] muscular issue. Now it is much better, and now we know it is a question of time. Of course, we need him.
"I think he will be ready [for Leeds]. Day by day, he is getting better. As much as he can train, he will get his condition."
City trail Premier League leaders Arsenal by eight points ahead of their game in hand against Leeds, with the defending champions having lost two of their previous five Premier League matches and widely considered not to have yet hit their best form.
Yet Guardiola does not expect to venture into the January transfer market in search of additions to strengthen a title charge.
"I think we are going to finish in this way," he said.
"I don't know what's going to happen, but since I arrived in Abu Dhabi with the sporting director, with Txiki [Begiristain], with everyone, there wasn't any names on the table."
Seattle Sounders 0-3 Los Angeles FC: Bouanga stars to get visitors back to winning ways
Los Angeles FC kept rivals LA Galaxy within touching distance as they got back to winning ways with a 3-0 victory over the Seattle Sounders on Saturday.
Denis Bouanga scored in both halves, either side of Mateusz Bogusz's strike, to earn a resounding win at Lumen Field.
The hosts got off to a terrible start as Nouhou Tolo was penalised for a handball during a scramble in the box, with a spot-kick being awarded to LAFC.
Bouanga made no mistake from 12 yards, giving Stefan Frei no chance as he rifled a powerful effort high down the middle.
LAFC doubled their lead 10 minutes later, with Seattle failing to clear their lines following a free-kick before Bogusz volleyed brilliantly across goal.
Despite a flurry of chances in the second half, the Sounders failed to test their opponents and were caught on the break when Bouanga neatly turned two defenders before beating Frei for power.
He could have had a hat-trick late on as he got one-on-one with Frei, but the goalkeeper stood his ground, saving brilliantly to deny him.
Seattle finally found their fight in the dying moments, with Hugo Lloris called into three huge saves to keep his clean sheet and ensure LAFC go into the Leagues Cup break just two points behind the Galaxy in the Western Conference with two games in hand.
Data Debrief: Bouanga closing in
Bouanga's second goal of the match was his 16th this season, the most of any LAFC player. It also moves him just one behind Real Salt Lake's Chicho Arango in the race for the Golden Boot.
At the other end of the pitch, Lloris' impressive late show saw him earn a ninth clean sheet of the season in 24 games. No team has had more shutouts in MLS this campaign than LAFC.
Inter Miami 2-1 Chicago Fire: Alba scores late to keep Herons on top
Jordi Alba scored the winner for Inter Miami in a 2-1 victory over the Chicago Fire as they moved five points clear at the top of the Eastern Conference.
Matias Rojas had given the Herons an early lead before being pegged back by Rafael Czichos, but Alba's winner ensured Miami made it back-to-back wins.
FC Cincinnati's third defeat in a row, a 3-1 loss to the New York Red Bulls, means Miami now have some breathing space at the summit of the table.
The hosts were still without Lionel Messi, who watched on from the sidelines with an ankle injury, but made a quick start without their talisman.
Robert Taylor's bursting run opened up the space in behind Chicago for him to pull it back into the middle, and Rojas fired his shot across goal to pick out the bottom-right corner.
Moments later, Hugo Cuypers almost pegged them back when he benefitted from Drake Callendar's spill, but the goalkeeper recovered well to deny him.
Julian Gressel then fired a brilliant chance wide, not realising he had more time, but almost made up for it on the stroke of half-time, only to fire a powerful shot against the crossbar.
The Fire improved after the break and got their reward in the 73rd minute, with Czichos pushing out from defence before nestling a shot into the bottom-left corner.
Their joy was short-lived though, as just two minutes later, Alba made the most of a mix-up at the back and slotted into an empty net to seal the three points.
Data Debrief: Miami on target once more
Miami have scored in each of their last 11 games in MLS, their longest streak this season. In fact, they have only failed to score in two of their 25 matches in the league so far.
Alba's last strike here ensured they ended a four-match winless streak against the Fire (drawing one, losing three), having failed to beat them since August 2021.
England should target Guardiola or Klopp to succeed Southgate, says Eriksson
England should attempt to convince either Pep Guardiola or Jurgen Klopp to succeed Gareth Southgate, says former Three Lions boss Sven-Goran Eriksson.
Southgate announced his resignation this week in the wake of England's 2-1 defeat to Spain in the Euro 2024 final, their second final loss in as many European Championship campaigns under him.
The likes of Graham Potter, Eddie Howe and Lee Carsley have been touted as potential successors if the Football Association (FA) wishes to appoint another English boss.
However, reports have also suggested the FA are keen to speak with Guardiola about the vacancy, with many believing he may leave Manchester City next year.
Former Liverpool boss Klopp, meanwhile, is thought likely to take a sabbatical after eight years at Anfield, but Eriksson believes the FA should still ask him the question.
"If he is English or foreign, I don't think it should mean much," he told The Telegraph. "You just have to find a top manager, or a young one with a good future.
"If you want to aim high, the obvious two contenders are Jurgen Klopp or Pep Guardiola. They know English football, the players and culture.
"If there was even the slightest suggestion they were interested in the job, England should go for it. We are talking about two of the best managers in the world.
"Klopp is taking a break and I'm not sure whether stepping down from Manchester City is in Pep's mind.
"But you have to aim high, and appointing either of those two would be a huge statement for England and their aims for the future."
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