Haaland was in Spain last week, stepping up his rehab and will fly to Saudi Arabia with the rest of the team straight after the Palace game.

Guardiola said: ‘He arrived today and we will see. The doctors will see him and how he feels.

Erling Haaland is unlikely to play against Crystal Palace and is also a doubt for the Club World Cup

Pep Guardiola said that he ‘hopes’ Haaland can travel with the squad to Saudi Arabia

‘He has been in treatment away. Hopefully, he can travel to Saudi, we go there tomorrow after the game.

‘We will see if he is able to play in the first game or the second game, or when we come back.

‘I don’t think he will play [against Palace] but maybe he surprises me and they tell me something new.’

The striker has missed two wins this week, at Luton and Red Star Belgrade, although he is not being ruled out of City’s two-match Saudi campaign in the FIFA Club World Cup.

But Guardiola has no long-term concerns about his fitness.

He said: ‘No. It’s not fractured, just stress,

‘Sometimes players recover quicker, sometimes longer. The doctors said, we have to take it day by day, week by week, how he feels.

‘The moment he doesn’t have symptoms or doesn’t feel pain, he will play again.’

The City boss has also welcomed the announcement that Rebecca Welch will be the first woman to referee a Premier League game, the meeting between Fulham and Burnley, next week.

He said: ‘It’s an excellent idea. More than welcome.

‘Hopefully in the future there can be more. In Germany years ago and years ago, it was in the Champions League, the Bundesliga, there was a (female) referee. Everybody being more involved is good.’

Haaland has been in exceptional form this season with 19 goals in 22 appearances

Man City have failed to beat Crystal Palace in three of their last five home meetings against the Eagles at the Etihad (Conor Gallagher pictured celebrating in a 2-0 Palace win in 2021)