By Sam Stone

5th May, 2023 | 1:10pm

Erling Haaland to be rested for Manchester City v Leeds United - Chris Sutton

Chris Sutton has joked that his “sources” in North Norfolk say there is a strong possibility that Erling Haaland is rested for Manchester City’s clash against Leeds United.

Leeds visit the Etihad on Saturday in what is Sam Allardyce’s first game in charge since replacing Javi Gracia at Elland Road.

Talking on BBC Radio 5 Live (Twitter, 5 May) Sutton was adamant there was a “distinct possibility” that Haaland could well be rested on Saturday.

He also added on his own Twitter account: “My sources in North Norfolk say there is a strong possibility of Haaland being rested against Leeds with Madrid in mind. Just trying to help the FPL community.”

Pinch of salt

We will take Sutton’s “sources” with a pinch of salt but, obviously, there is a chance that Pep Guardiola rests the Norwegian, with a huge clash against Real Madrid in the offing. He’s obviously got his sights set on goalscoring records but will be desperate to be fully fit for when City face off against the serial European winners.

With City’s date with destiny now within view, this game against Leeds could well have come at a bad time. They could take their foot off the gas, which could allow Allardyce’s side the chance to cause problems on the counterattack. We all know the difficulty of the task on Saturday, but it’s not a free hit.

There are four games left for Leeds to secure their Premier League status and every single point will matter. Ensuring the score stays at 0-0 for as long as possible is a must. Guardiola’s side grew frustrated during their 3-0 win over West Ham and Allardyce will be looking to replicate the Hammers’ performance.

In other Leeds United news, the club may now face a losing battle to keep their star player at Elland Road beyond the summer transfer window.