Haaland is 'EVEN FITTER' this season than during record-breaking debut, says Pep

Pep Guardiola claimed that Erling Haaland has returned even sharper this season in a message sure to send shivers down the spine of Premier League defences.

Haaland scored twice off the bench as City beat sister club Yokohama F. Marinos 5-3 in their first pre-season friendly during the tour of Japan and South Korea.

The striker, who broke records by reaching 52 goals last term, was battling injuries shortly before joining City and Guardiola believes he is now in significantly better shape.

‘Comparing to last season, in that period, he is fitter,’ Guardiola said. ‘I know we would love for this to be like last season.

‘He looks good, but he is still a way from the best condition, like everyone. What’s important is [getting] the rhythm and the principles. We know exactly what he has to do, we know him, and in a few weeks, we will be better condition than now.’

The City boss quipped: ‘It was most important for him to score two goals in the first game, because last season he could not score.’

Guardiola did cast doubt over whether Kevin De Bruyne can play any part of the next two matches, against Bayern Munich on Wednesday and Atletico Madrid in Seoul.

The midfielder played with a hamstring injury for two months of the run-in to help City complete an historic Treble and then tore it during the Champions League final.

There were fears that De Bruyne would miss the start of the season and, despite being with the team in Asia, he has been training alone.

‘He feels much, much better,’ Guardiola added. ‘I don't know about the games, because of course he has to train [beforehand]. But he is so close. He is coming back soon.’

De Bruyne watched on from the sidelines as City went two goals down against Yokohama, the high-energy Japanese champions who provided a crash course in fitness work for Guardiola’s side.

City have held just four training sessions, and not all of them with a complete squad, and face Arsenal in the Community Shield in a fortnight.