Erling Haaland appeared to pick up an injury during the international break - so will he bit fit for Manchester City’s match against Liverpool?
The extended international break has been particularly brutal in terms of injuries, perhaps as a result of so many players losing their summer break to the World Cup – and among the many players who could miss time due to knocks and strains picked up with their countries is Manchester City striker Erling Haaland.
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Haaland was substituted during Norway’s 2-1 defeat to Portugal on Sunday with an apparent injury, prompting fears that he could miss this weekend’s Premier League fixture against Liverpool. With kick-off fast approaching, we’ve rounded up the latest news on the striker’s condition below.
What happened to Manchester City star Erling Haaland?
Erling Haaland asked to be substituted during Norway's 2-1 loss to Portugalplaceholder image
Erling Haaland asked to be substituted during Norway's 2-1 loss to Portugal | Getty Images
Haaland was taken off 67 minutes into Norway’s Nations League defeat to Portugal after appearing to gesture towards the bench that he was unable to continue due to injury.
The 26-year-old has since returned to Manchester City following the end of his international duties, but there have been no official updates on his status from the club, leading to concerns among supporters (and Fantasy Premier League players) that he might miss a potentially significant match against Liverpool on Sunday.
The only official update we have on Haaland’s condition came from Norway head coach Ståle Solbakken, who said that his star forward was “thoroughly spent,” adding that he had also shown signs of tiredness against Wales in their previous match.
Solbakken further stated that he and Haaland had discussed whether he should play the full match against Portugal prior to kick-off, but the substitution did not appear to be pre-planned.
The fear is that Haaland has suffered a minor muscular injury as a result of fatigue, with the player having had precious little rest over the last year after Norway advanced to the quarter-finals of the World Cup.
There are no signs of a more serious injury and none of the updates from Solbakken suggested the likelihood that Haaland would miss a significant amount of time – but he does now stand as a doubt for Manchester City’s game against Liverpool.
Will Erling Haaland play against Liverpool?
Haaland played the full 90 minutes of Norway's first three Nations League games, scoring three goalsplaceholder image
Haaland played the full 90 minutes of Norway's first three Nations League games, scoring three goals | Getty Images
Manchester City have not yet confirmed Haaland’s status ahead of Sunday’s game at Anfield, which will be the first Premier League game the club has played since it was announced that they had been found guilty of 114 of the 115 charges laid against them related to breaches of the league’s financial rules.
That story is expected to dominate coverage of the match against Liverpool amid reports that City could face a huge points deduction or be expelled from the top flight – but with the club appealing the Premier League’s verdict, they remain title contenders for now and will hope to have Haaland fit.
It is expected that Haaland will rest during the week in the hopes that he is ready to train ahead of the match, and he is likely to face a late fitness test ahead of the short trip to Merseyside.
As it stands, the information available suggests that Haaland will be able to start against Liverpool, but City head coach Enzo Maresca is expected to provide a more detailed update during what will surely be a very lively pre-match press conference on Friday.
Haaland, for now, appears to be no more than a minor doubt, with exhaustion apparently the only reason for his substitution against Portugal. With a week between games, the Norwegian should be ready to go in time for a consequential match.