Erling Haaland of Manchester City in action during a training session at Manchester City Football Academy on Thursday
Erling Haaland trains ahead of Manchester City's Premier League trip to Liverpool
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It was the only non-charges related question asked at Enzo Maresca's press conference on Friday but the answer will have been reassuring to Manchester City fans: Erling Haaland is fine.
The striker was replaced in Norway's Nations League defeat to Portugal last weekend, sparking injury concerns. But the 26-year-old, fresh from a couple of days off in Marbella, is fit to face Liverpool on Sunday.
The Norwegian will again lead the line for City and his presence up top has perhaps never been as important since his arrival four years ago.
Haaland has played every minute of every game in the Premier League this season, with five goals in five games, plus another two in his sole Champions League appearance. His importance to this City side is so obvious it's easy to underplay just how consistently excellent he is.
And this season he will perhaps be called upon more than ever. The departure of Omar Marmoush to Tottenham means City don't have an obvious number nine alternative. Marmoush didn't quite hit the heights expected of him last season but he offered a natural option through the middle should Haaland pick up an injury or need a rest. Julian Alvarez ditto before that.
This season City see Antoine Semenyo as their alternative through the middle and while the Ghanaian can play there, it's not a position he occupies often.
That means the reliance on Haaland will grow and with it so does the risk. This is a player who has played more matches than any other City man since the start of the 2024-25 campaign. According to Opta, Haaland has racked up 133 appearances in that time for club and country, the fourth most of any Premier League outfield player behind Morgan Rogers (141), Declan Rice and Virgil van Dijk (136).
Haaland entered this campaign on the back of the World Cup where he was front and centre for Norway and his national team boss Stale Solbakken said this week that the striker was showing signs of fatigue.
"He was simply thoroughly spent," said Solbakken. "Some of my players have only had six or seven days of holiday. And you do not live off your physical condition in a normal job. Then it is straight into the start of the season, followed by a mini-tournament, so it is an extreme strain.
He added: "He’s in the group that carries the heaviest workload — precisely because his team (City) plays in every tournament and he’s the main man."
That message should serve as a warning to City and Enzo Maresca. Haaland will lead the line at Anfield on Sunday and again against PSG in the Champions League in midweek, but if City are to challenge on all fronts this season he can't be pushed to breaking point.