Norway Boss Gives Erling Haaland Injury Update Ahead of Liverpool Clash
Manchester City have received some encouraging news regarding Erling Haaland after the striker was taken off during Norway’s 2-1 Nations League defeat to Portugal.
Haaland was substituted in the second half after appearing to show some discomfort, immediately raising concerns about his fitness with Manchester City preparing to face Liverpool when the Premier League returns.
The 26-year-old signalled toward the Norway bench in the 67th minute before being replaced by Jørgen Strand Larsen. His apparent limp as he left the pitch sparked fears that he could have suffered an injury.
However, Norway manager Ståle Solbakken has moved to calm those concerns, explaining that Haaland’s substitution was largely connected to fatigue and the heavy workload he had experienced during the international break.
According to Solbakken, there was nothing particularly serious behind the decision. He indicated that Haaland had simply reached the point where he was exhausted after playing a large number of minutes for Norway.
The Norway boss had already discussed Haaland’s workload with the Manchester City striker before the Portugal game. With the forward having played full matches in several of Norway’s previous fixtures, the plan was to manage his minutes during the final game.
Haaland had already endured a demanding period, featuring heavily across Norway’s Nations League fixtures while also accumulating almost 600 minutes for Manchester City since the beginning of the season.
Despite the concern caused by his substitution, Haaland remained with his teammates on the bench after coming off rather than immediately leaving for medical treatment. That has provided some reassurance ahead of Manchester City’s trip to Anfield.
The timing of the incident is particularly important because City are scheduled to face Liverpool on Sunday. Haaland has started the season strongly and has scored seven goals in his opening games for the club, making his availability a major talking point ahead of the fixture.
Manchester City will therefore monitor his condition closely during the coming days. With almost a full week between the Portugal match and the Liverpool clash, there is optimism that the Norwegian striker will have enough time to recover from the fatigue.
Liverpool, meanwhile, also have injury concerns of their own. Cody Gakpo is expected to miss the game after picking up a knock while representing the Netherlands, while Alexander Isak’s availability is also uncertain after he suffered a thigh problem while playing for Sweden.
If Haaland is cleared to play, Liverpool’s defenders will have the difficult task of dealing with a striker who has already enjoyed an impressive start to the campaign.
For now, Solbakken’s comments suggest that the substitution was primarily a precautionary workload decision rather than confirmation of a serious injury. However, Haaland’s condition will still be watched closely before the much-anticipated meeting at Anfield.
