Erling Haaland ruled out of Man City's crucial trip to Brighton

Manchester City's hopes of winning the Premier League title have been dealt a blow with the absence of Erling Haaland for their upcoming match against Brighton.

The Norwegian striker, who missed City's recent victory over Chelsea in the FA Cup due to a muscle injury, will not be able to join his teammates at the Amex Stadium.

However, City manager Pep Guardiola remains optimistic about Haaland's recovery and believes he could be back in contention for their game against Nottingham Forest on Sunday.

In the meantime, Guardiola has received positive news regarding the fitness of Phil Foden and John Stones, who have been given the green light to play against Brighton.

With the title race heating up, City currently sit four points behind leaders Arsenal and will be looking to close the gap in the coming matches.