Haaland injury: Man City ace ‘in hospital’ amid troubling update with ‘gamble’ to have big ramifications for Liverpool, Arsenal
The father of Erling Haaland has provided a concerning update on his son’s injury status amid talk of a “gamble” that could have huge ramifications on the seasons of Liverpool and Arsenal.
While talk of Man Utd doing a quadruple had hit the headlines in early 2023, Man City are quietly still hoping to secure a treble of their own.
They’ll face Bayern Munich in the quarter finals of the Champions League, while Sheffield United await in the semis of the FA Cup.
In the Premier League, City have a mountain to climb with Arsenal currently holding an eight-point lead. However, Pep Guardiola’s side do have a game in hand and the Gunners must travel to the Etihad on April 26.
One player who’ll be pivotal in which and how many trophies Man City lift this season is Erling Haaland.
The Norwegian has been everything City fans could’ve hoped for and more, though is currently sidelined with a groin issue.
Haaland was forced into pulling out of Norway’s squad for their Euro 2024 qualifiers against Spain and Georgia. Rather than returning to Manchester, he travelled to Spain to seek treatment from Man City’s world-renowned doctor of choice, Ramón Cugat, at the Quirónsalud hospital.
Haaland has since headed to Marbella as he continues his recovery, though his father, Alfie, has provided a troubling update on his son’s injury status.
Haaland “touch and go” for Liverpool clash
Speaking to Norwegian broadcaster TV 2 Sport (via the Telegraph), Alfie stressed it’s “touch and go” whether Erling features against Liverpool next weekend.
City host Liverpool in the lunchtime kick-off on Saturday, April 1. If the Reds are to mount a charge towards top four, they cannot afford to leave the Etihad empty-handed.
Alfie warned Man City of the “gamble” it would be fielding Haaland against Liverpool if he’s been unable to train for two weeks.
If he exacerbated the injury and was subsequently ruled out for a lengthy period, Arsenal’s title hopes would soar.
Man City could “gamble” with Haaland injury
“Firstly, I’m not a doctor and secondly, I think it’s ‘touch and go’ [to face Liverpool],” said Alfie Haaland.
“You can’t just go two weeks without training and then jump right into a fight.
“There must be a progression there. They (Man City) can gamble on it, but if he doesn’t get proper training with the team, then he won’t play. It is about how he responds to treatment in the next few days.
“He needs a lot of care and ‘knuckling’. There are many sprints and there is a lot to move.”
Whether to gamble on playing Haaland will be a decision that could define City’s season.
Liverpool have defeated City in two of their three clashes this season (Community Shield and EPL). A loss to the Reds next Saturday could spell the end of their title hopes.
However, the 22-year-old is the most effective frontman in world football right now having notched eight goals in his last two matches. Clearly, a decision on whether to stick or twist is far from straightforward.
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