Manchester City take on Fluminense in the FIFA Club World Cup final – but Pep Guardiola will have to make do without Erling Haaland.
The Spaniard is also unable to call upon Jeremy Doku and Kevin De Bruyne due to a FIFA rule.
So, what FIFA rule prevents Manchester City from using Erling Haaland in the Club World Cup final against Fluminense? Let’s take a look…
FIFA rule forces Haaland out of Club World Cup final
Well, this is a bit strange.
FIFA regulations for the Club World Cup state that only those who were selected to play in the semi-final win over Urawa Red Diamonds are eligible to feature in the final.
Haaland, Doku and De Bruyne were all named in the initial 23-man squad by Guardiola, but found themselves swapped out for Max Alleyne, Mahamadou Susoho and Micah Hamilton due to injury.
Therefore – regardless of whether the Norway international or the pair of Belgium internationals have recovered – they cannot take part in the FIFA Club World Cup final against Fluminense on Friday night.
This has also been backed up by Sky Sports.
Great experience for Manchester City youngsters
While this rule is slightly odd, it means Hamilton, Alleyne and Susoho get to experience a truly special moment in the infancy of their respective careers.
The City Football Academy graduates will get a first hand view from the bench of what is widely expected to be Manchester City’s first ever FIFA Club World Cup win – and could even get some minutes on the pitch if things go smoothly against the Brazilian giants.
Just days after Hamilton was handed a debut in the UEFA Champions League, impressing many – including Jamie Carragher – with his goalscoring exploits, another exciting chapter could be in store for the City Football Academy in Jeddah.
