PREMIER LEAGUE
Manchester City striker Haaland injured: will he be fit to play against Liverpool in the Premier League?
City forward Haaland played the second half of Norway’s friendly against the Faroe Islands but was troubled by another ankle problem.
Erling Haaland give Norway - and perhaps Manchester City even more so - a fright in the second half of Thursday’s friendly win over the Faroe Islands, going down with what appeared to be an injury to his left ankle. The Norwegians will complete their unsuccessful Euro 2024 qualifying campaign with an essentially meaningless trip to Scotland on Sunday, which takes place only six days before the mouthwatering Premier League clash against Liverpool (on Saturday 25 November).
What injury did Haaland suffer playing for Norway?
“Haaland has a slight ankle sprain, so he is a little delicate. It was really sore when it happened but the pain dies down pretty quickly. So we’ll see how he is feeling tomorrow,” explained Ola Sand, Norway’s team doctor, after the game. The 23-year-old has already had issues with the same ankle in the very recent past, coming off at half time in the 6-1 thrashing of Bournemouth on 4 November.
However, he took up his usual place in the starting line up in City’s next game against Young Boys three days later, playing at hour, and then completed 90 minutes in the thriller with Chelsea before the international break. And there certainly didn’t appear to be much wrong with the Norwegian, who scored twice in both matches.
City striker’s recovery plan
But just when it seemed as if Haaland’s ankle had become a non-issue, it is cause for concern once again. Suffering another sprain, which has become something of a recurring theme, could force the striker into a longer period on the sidelines to try to overcome the problem once and for all. Sand outlined the former Borussia Dortmund man’s immediate recovery plan: “He’ll receive some treatment and, above all, he’ll rest. Then we’ll see how he is. We’ve already spoken about it with City.”
No Haaland requests from Pep Guardiola to Norway
Norway cannot automatically qualify for Euro 2024 and look unlikely to sneak into the playoffs, which means Sunday’s game in Scotland has little riding on it. Norwegian media asked head coach Stale Solbakken if he had ever received any special requests from City or their manager Pep Guardiola regarding how they “take care” of Haaland while on international duty.
“Never during my time with the national team have I received a request from Pep Guardiola asking us to do this or that. Erling really wants to play for the national team. Before international games, we are always very worried that Erling will not play (for his club). City have never said anything to us about it. In relation to this match (against the Faroe Islands), we thought it would be best if he played just 45 minutes. That way you can keep your certain rhythm without getting tired. Injuries can happen at any time... in any training session,” Solbakken concluded.