MADRID — In a significant development for Manchester City, striker Erling Haaland was sidelined during Wednesday’s Champions League encounter against Real Madrid, as he continues to recover from a knee injury. The talented forward sustained the injury to his right knee during Manchester City’s convincing 4-0 victory over Newcastle in the Premier League just days before.

“His condition was close to being acceptable, but ultimately it wasn’t sufficient,” manager Pep Guardiola remarked to TNT Sports. “He participated in a light training session yesterday, but after discussing this morning, he indicated that he didn’t feel ready to play.”

Haaland had a notable impact in the earlier leg of this playoff, where he netted both goals for Manchester City before Real Madrid staged a dramatic comeback to win 3-2. In Haaland’s absence, newly signed Egyptian forward Omar Marmoush, who recently made headlines with a hat trick against Newcastle, took his place in the lineup for Guardiola’s side on Wednesday evening.

With Haaland’s powerful scoring ability on hold, fans and analysts eagerly anticipated how the team would perform against a formidable opponent like Real Madrid without their star striker leading the attack. The implications of his injury will be closely monitored as City seeks to progress in the prestigious tournament.