Erling Haaland, the 26-year-old Norway and Manchester City striker, caused concern for his club this Sunday evening. He asked to be substituted in the 65th minute of the Nations League match against Portugal—with the score tied at 1-1 (Portugal ultimately won 2-1)—raising fears of an injury that could cause him to miss crucial upcoming games: against Liverpool (October 11) in the Premier League and Paris Saint-Germain (October 14) in the Champions League. His national team manager, Ståle Solbakken, explained the situation in a press conference.
“Haaland isn’t feeling right”
“He gave us 60 good minutes in today’s match. He had played the full 90 minutes twice already. He was tired against Wales. That’s why we had a heart-to-heart conversation yesterday. We went over all the possibilities.
He might have been able to play the last 45 minutes against Portugal; it was a topic of discussion. But he isn’t feeling right about it—he has a bad feeling regarding the situation. He’s had an experience before where he came on as a substitute in the League Cup and it didn’t go very well. I’m very pleased that he managed to put in 60 good minutes,” Solbakken said, as reported by Dagbladet.
These comments may offer some reassurance to Manchester City, as there is no indication of a sudden injury that would force a long-term absence. However, the news isn’t entirely positive either. The Norwegian is clearly suffering from significant fatigue, and perhaps even some physical discomfort. This is far from ideal as the team prepares for the return of club football this weekend and the subsequent Champions League fixture. His condition will be closely monitored over the coming days.
