Jamie Carragher questioned the injury that prevented Erling Haaland from starting for Manchester City of their huge Champions League clash against Real Madrid.
Man City travelled to the Bernabeu on Wednesday night hoping to overturn a one-goal deficit following a 3-2 defeat to the Spanish giants last week.
Pep Guardiola’s side were dealt a blow before kick-off with Premier League Golden Boot winner only named on the bench.
Spanish football expert Guillem Balague said on CBS Sports that Haaland had told Guardiola on Wednesday morning that he was not fit enough to begin after jarring his knee in Saturday’s Premier League victory over Newcastle United.
Guardiola, speaking in his pre-match interview, then said his star striker was not near starting the Champions League play-off game because of the knee problem.
But Liverpool legend Carragher raised doubt over the injury and suggested Haaland didn’t fancy coming up against the returning Antonio Rudiger.
Ex-Chelsea defender Rudiger missed the primary leg on the Etihad Stadium through injury but returned to the side this evening in a fine addition for Real Madrid boss Carlo Ancelotti.
‘So let me work this out,’ Carragher said on CBS Sports. ‘Haaland has gone to the manager this morning and said he’s not fit?
‘Do you think that that’s got something to do with Rudiger? Is that because Rudiger is playing?
‘He’s on the bench so he can’t be injured. I never went to see the manager on the morning of a game and said I’m not fit.
‘So he’s injured, is he? It’s Rudiger-itis is it? Is that what we’re saying here?’
Ex-Manchester City defender Micah Richards dismissed Carragher’s theory as ‘nonsense’.
‘Have a look at him, take a look at his narratives,’ he responded. ‘It’s just nonsense. Come on Jamie, you’re higher than that, you’re higher than that.’
January signing Omar Marmoush began up top for Manchester City in Haaland’s absence. The Egyptian scored a hat-trick on the weekend.
Reacting to Man City’s team news, ex-Premier League striker Chris Sutton said on BBC Radio 5 Live: ‘It will be really odd if Erling Haaland isn’t either ailing or injured.
‘He scored each Man City goals within the reverse fixture. It’s going to be one in every of those two things.
‘There isn’t any way that for a game of this magnitude Pep Guardiola just leaves him out.’
Former goalkeeper Paul Robinson added: ‘We definitely weren’t expecting to see a Man City team sheet tonight without Erling Haaland.
‘The way in which that Omar Marmoush played on the weekend against Newcastle, it is probably not a nasty thing for him to get within the side.
‘He’s an excellent substitute for Haaland albeit he’s a distinct kind of player. He’ll run in behind, cause the Real Madrid defence various kinds of problems.
‘Everyone knows what Haaland brings to City though and it’s a giant blow for them.’
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