Manchester City fans were left sweating over the weekend when Erling Haaland’s name was a shock omission from the team sheet at Elland Road.
The Norwegian powerhouse has been in relentless form this season, bagging 22 Premier League goals already, but a late training ground “niggle” saw him sidelined for the hard-fought 1-0 win over Leeds United.
With a massive run of fixtures coming up, including a trip to Real Madrid in the Champions League and a crunch FA Cup tie at Newcastle, everyone is asking the same thing: how serious is it?
What is the latest Erling Haaland injury news?
Pep Guardiola didn’t sugarcoat the situation before kick-off on Saturday, confirming that Haaland picked up a “little injury” during the final moments of a training session last Thursday.
While the club haven’t specified the exact nature of the problem, reports suggest it’s a minor fitness issue. The problem was likely a knock or a small muscular strain that was deemed too risky to play through.
Speaking to Sky Sports, Pep said: “Two days ago, in the last moments of training, there were some problems. A little injury. It’s not a big issue, but he was not ready for today.”
The good news for City fans is that the omission appeared to be largely precautionary. With City chasing down Arsenal at the top of the table, losing their talisman for a month would be a disaster, so the medical staff are clearly playing it safe.
When will Erling Haaland return for Man City?
The big question now is whether we will see the “Cyborg” back in action this Wednesday night when Nottingham Forest visit the Etihad.
While Guardiola was cagey in his post-match press conference, saying he “doesn’t have the answer right now,” there is plenty of optimism coming out of the camp.
Norwegian journalist Jan Aage Fjortoft, who is often close to the Haaland family, has suggested that the striker could be back as early as Wednesday.
If he doesn’t make the Forest game, the focus will shift to Saturday’s FA Cup fifth-round clash at St James’ Park. Pep will be desperate to have his main man leading the line, especially with Real Madrid waiting in the wings on March 11.
How Man City are coping without their top scorer
City managed to get the job done without Haaland against Leeds, thanks to a winner from Antoine Semenyo. The January signing stepped up in a central role, supported by Omar Marmoush and Rayan Cherki.
While the squad depth is undeniable, City look a different beast with Haaland. And the change in form comes at the right time after Haaland’s Champions League form dipped.
City have closed the gap on Arsenal to just two points, and with the “six-pointer” at the Etihad looming in April, having a fully fit Haaland is essential.
It’s not just Haaland in the treatment room, though. City are also sweating on the fitness of young star Nico O’Reilly, who hobbled off at Elland Road with an ankle problem.
With Josko Gvardiol and Mateo Kovacic still long-term absentees, Guardiola’s squad is being pushed to the limit at the most crucial part of the season.
