Even Brendan Rodgers wants Erling Haaland to play against Leicester but Man City might get first taste of infamous injury record that peppered time at Borussia Dortmund
Manchester City will be hoping that Erling Haaland’s current fitness worries prove to be nothing more than a minor inconvenience.
The Norwegian striker moved to the Etihad Stadium over the summer and has wasted no time in further cementing himself as the most prolific striker in the Premier League scoring 22 goals in just 16 matches in all competitions.
Getty
Getty
Despite a stunning start, the 22-year-old has seen his fitness hampered this week after playing just 45 minutes against former club Borussia Dortmund due to a foot injury and illness.
With Leicester City up next for Pep Guardiola‘s side, the Spanish head coach has said that a late decision will be made regarding Haaland’s involvement against the Foxes, a match that is exclusively live on talkSPORT.
Guardiola explained: “He feels better but we will train this afternoon and we will assess in a few hours.
“We will see how he feels in his foot and after we will decide. I will know in two hours if he’s able to play or not.”
Haaland is by no means a player who is classed as injury-plagued, but recent seasons have seen him pick up his fair share of niggles.
The striker faced seven different spells on the sidelines last season, however most of these occasions saw him miss just one or two matches due to minor injuries.
He did face two month-long spells on the sidelines due to hip and groin injuries, however the 22-year-old is clearly in peak condition following his electric start to the season.
With his place in the side against Leicester at risk, Foxes head coach Brendan Rodgers believes that his side should relish the prospect of facing a player who could dominate the game for the next decade.
Speaking in his pre-match press conference, Rodgers said: “I hope he plays.
“You want to see the best players. The beauty in the Premier League is we have a chance to see a genuine world-class player grow and progress his talent on our shores.
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Erling Haaland injury record at Borussia Dortmund
Erling Haaland injury record at Borussia Dortmund (Transfermarkt)
May 2020 – Knee injury – 11 days
October 2020 – Knee injury – four days
November 2020 – Torn muscle – one month out
April 2021 – Minor knock – four days out
September 2021 – Muscle strain – 18 days out
October 2021 – Hip injury – 35 days out
January 2022 – Groin injury – 42 days out
“He’s a brilliant player. I love everything about his game. He’s 22. Everyone can see the talent. He’s a natural goalscorer, but he clearly works on it as well. He never wastes a run. He always makes the right runs, even if the ball doesn’t always come.
“The biggest thing for me is his hunger and the effort he puts in to be the best player he can be. I read somewhere a few years back that he thought he needed to get stronger, so he put on 10kg of muscle. You don’t do that by not working hard. He’s clearly a young player who works on his game.
“He’s blessed with incredible physicality but he looks like he has the hunger to be the very best he can be. Over this next decade it will be great to follow him. I hope he plays, it will be great to measure ourselves against top talents, and he is one.”
October 29, 2022 at 02:00AM Premier League Table, Fixtures, News, Results, Opinion - talkSPORT https://ift.tt/rxmp35o
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