Erling Haaland didn't look like his groin was troubling him too much when he was bouncing around in his box, watching Manchester City dismantle Liverpool on Saturday.
Pep Guardiola said he was feeling better and Haaland also didn't look too uncomfortable when being paraded by Nike on Tuesday. So it was a welcome sight for everyone to see City's prolific frontman jog out to training on Wednesday.
Haaland will now be in contention to face Southampton at the weekend ahead of a hectic fixture schedule that will define City's season.
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After a trip to bottom side Southampton - who beat City in the Carabao Cup earlier this year - City take on Bayern Munich in an important Champions League quarter-final first leg, where they must take full advantage of starting the tie at the Etihad. Leicester then visit at the weekend as they look to climb out of the relegation zone, before City are in Munich for the Champions League second leg.
On their return to England, City are at Wembley for the FA Cup semi-final against Sheffield United, before Arsenal arrive at the Etihad in a title race showdown that City simply have to win. Even with the league's bottom two sides up next, there are no easy games, and the Champions League complicates matters in a run of six games in 18 days.
Haaland will need to be fully fit and firing towards the end of the month for the Bayern, Sheffield United and Arsenal week, so there is no benefit in rushing him back. On the other hand, City will want him at his peak for those games, so easing him back in at Southampton also has its benefits.
It may come down to which competition is prioritised at this stage. Facing the bottom side is a bonus in some regards as City should have the firepower to record three points at St Mary's. Julian Alvarez was superb against Liverpool, and is more than capable of leading the line at the weekend if Haaland was given more time to recover and potentially feature off the bench.
If Haaland starts at Southampton, it would show his importance to City's Premier League title challenge. If he was given more time to be fit to face Bayern, that would indicate that the Champions League was more important.
Of course, Haaland's long-term fitness is the biggest concern, so not playing him at Southampton doesn't necessarily mean City are prioritising the Bayern game if it means he is fit for the rest of the season in all competitions. Still, if City have a choice, it will be interesting to see which game Haaland is deemed more important for.
Guardiola says City cannot lose any more league games if they want to win the title, and mentioned Southampton when he said dropped points this weekend would essentially end their title challenge. Likewise, a poor result in the Champions League next week could all but end their European hopes for another season. The manager has also suggested he will take risks with Haaland's fitness at this crucial stage of the season.
Haaland's injury management this weekend could give an indication of where Guardiola's priorities lie this season.
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