Haaland trains with City boss Guardiola warning 'lay off the carbs during World Cup break'

City in Champions League action on Tuesday when they take on Borussia Dortmund at the Etihad

Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola joked he wanted striker Erling Haaland to lay off the food and drink during the mid-season break for the World Cup and come back fit to spearhead the club's hunt for trophies in the second half of the season.

Norway's Haaland, who has scored 22 goals in 15 games across all competitions so far, will not be heading to Qatar for the November 20-December 18 tournament after his country failed to qualify.

Haaland took part in training at the Etihad Campus on Monday as City prepare for Tuesday's Champions League match against Borussia Dortmund.

Victory at Signal Iduna Park will see City advance to the last 16 as Group G winners with a match to spare.

"He will be in Marbella or Norway. It depends on how he behaves in Marbella as to how good he is for the second half of the season," Guardiola told reporters on Monday. "He will play golf, hopefully not eat and drink much and come back fit.

"He is so smart. A part of that is his work ethic. He is one of the first to arrive and one of the last to leave. He looks after his body perfectly. He is well educated in the way he has to live as a professional and he has the intent to get better.

"I didn't know how good he was moving in small spaces in the box, he scores a lot in the box. He goes away from the action to be closer to the goal, these kind of moments are not easy for a striker."

Updated: October 25, 2022, 6:57 AM