Erling Haaland and two other key Man City stars to MISS Club World Cup final due to bizarre Fifa rule

ERLING HAALAND and team-mates Kevin De Bruyne and Jeremy Doku are set to miss the Club World Cup final.

The trio watched City’s 3-0 semi-final win over Urawa Reds from the stands due to injury.

AFP

Erling Haaland, Jeremy Doku and Kevin De Bruyne missed the semi-final through injury[/caption]

And Fifa rules forbid any player who did not feature in the semi-final matchday squad from playing in the final.

It is a blow for Pep Guardiola who would have hoped for the trio to be fit enough for the final.

City take on Fluminense at the King Abdullah Sports City in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.

And Guardiola could play without a recognised striker once again after Julian Alvarez started on the bench in the semi-final.

Haaland, 23, has missed the last three City games after suffering a stress fracture in his foot.

He flew to Spain last week to visit biomechanics expert John Haddad to assess the foot problem he picked up in the defeat at Aston Villa.

has worked closely with the Lebanon-based former jeweller since 2020 and trusts him to speed up his recovery from injuries.

Two years ago while at Borussia Dortmund, he had a hip injury which improved much quicker than expected after sessions with Haddad who calls himself ‘Mr Fix’.

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Meanwhile De Bruyne returned to training for the first time since August in Saudi Arabia.

And Doku will be hoping to be fit in time for City’s next domestic clash – which comes in the Premier League against Everton on December 27.