Erling Haaland was not there as Manchester City practiced in front of the media before of their Champions League match against Red Star Belgrade.

After missing the Premier League win against Luton on Sunday due to a foot ailment, the prolific Norwegian striker had already appeared certain to miss Wednesday’s final Group G encounter in Serbia.

When asked over the weekend, manager Pep Guardiola said he didn’t know how long Haaland would be out, but he hoped he’d be ready for their first Club World Cup encounter in Saudi Arabia next week.

That means the 23-year-old, who has 19 goals in all competitions this season, will miss Saturday’s match against Crystal Palace at the Etihad Stadium.

Winger Jeremy Doku was also absent from the media-accessible training session at the City Football Academy on Tuesday morning.

The Belgian has missed the last two games due to a muscle injury.

Goalkeeper Ederson was also absent, implying that the Brazilian could be rested in Belgrade, with number two Stefan Ortega given a chance.

The encounter has no significance for City, who have already qualified for the knockout stages as group winners.

At a press conference in Serbia on Tuesday evening, Guardiola was expected to provide an update on the squad.