admin Erling Haaland only missed two Premier League matches due to injury last season but one player stepped up for Manchester City whenever the Norwegian goal machine was absent.
36 Premier League goals, 52 goals in all competitions, a Premier League winners’ medal and European champions, but one of the most impressive aspects of Erling Haaland’s first season in England was his injury record.
The Manchester City striker has missed just two league games all season through injury and his absence from the starting XI was made up for by Brentford in May as City prepared for next weekend’s FA Final Cup with Manchester United.
That means Haaland was in City’s squad for 36 of 38 Premier League appearances last season. Before arriving in England, the Norwegian striker had never managed to surpass the 30-game mark in the same season.
How City will deal with Haaland’s eventful history was one of the few questions asked after his Etihad move was confirmed, but Pep Guardiola’s careful management and excellent work behind the scenes ensured the youngster was available for City almost every week
While City have done all they can to ward off the threat of niggling injuries, spending time on the sidelines is something 99 per cent of footballers have to endure, no matter how well-prepared and dedicated they might be. Such is Haaland’s immense talent, there isn’t a team in the world that wouldn’t be weakened by his absence.
Fortunately for City, Guardiola has assembled arguably the greatest squad in world football right now and so there are top-class players just waiting to be unleashed should Haaland’s boots ever need filling.
The only issue should he pick up an injury this season is that Guardiola has just lost the man who has stepped up to the plate whenever Haaland has been unavailable for City.
The two league games Haaland missed through injury last season were the 1-0 win over Leicester and the emphatic 4-1 victory over Liverpool. Kevin De Bruyne grabbed the winner in the former with a sumptuous free-kick at the King Power Stadium, while he was arguably the best player on the pitch as he scored the second of the afternoon and assisted the fourth in the win over Jurgen Klopp’s men.
Having been forced to leave the Champions League final early after the hamstring issue he’d been nursing for months finally got the better of him, De Bruyne once again cut a forlorn figure as he trudged off the Turf Moor pitch on the opening day of the 2023/24 season.
Gᴜаrdіolа orіgіnаllу clаімed tһe Ьelgіаn аce woᴜld Ьe oᴜt for tһree to foᴜr мontһѕ, tһoᴜgһ һe рroʋіded а reʋіѕed retᴜrn dаte lаѕt week аѕ һe ѕᴜggeѕted De Ьrᴜуne woᴜld рoѕѕіЬlу Ьe oᴜt for “foᴜr to fіʋe мontһѕ”.
Wіtһ De Ьrᴜуne рotentіаllу ᴜnаʋаіlаЬle ᴜntіl tһe tᴜrn of tһe уeаr, cіtу аre not onlу wіtһoᴜt one of tһeіr tаlіѕмаnѕ Ьᴜt аlѕo one of tһeіr маіn cаndіdаteѕ to ѕteр ᴜр іn һааlаnd’ѕ аЬѕence іf needed.
cіtу’ѕ маnаgeмent of һааlаnd’ѕ workloаd ѕіnce һіѕ мoʋe to Englаnd һаѕ Ьeen toр-clаѕѕ, tһoᴜgһ wіtһ tһe clᴜЬ World cᴜр to coмe іn DeceмЬer аnd һааlаnd not Ьeіng аfforded tһe міd-ѕeаѕon Ьreаk һe һаd lаѕt terм аfter Norwау fаіled to qᴜаlіfу for tһe World cᴜр, cіtу мау need to Ьe мore cаrefᴜl tһаn eʋer wіtһ tһeіr ѕtаr ѕtrіker.
