Manchester City fans are sweating over the fitness of first-team striker Erling Haaland after the Norwegian marksman was left out of the playing squad to face Newcastle United in the FA Cup at the weekend.
The news of his absence was especially worrying given the fact that the Manchester club now travel to face Real Madrid in the Round of 16 of the Champions League.
Haaland has now missed two of the last three games for City.
The 25-year-old was absent for City’s Premier League away game at Elland Road against his boyhood club Leeds United, a tight clash that was won by a single goal, scored by his replacement, Antoine Semenyo. It was thought that a knee injury sidelined him, although later reports suggested in was in fact an ankle issue causing him pain.
Haaland returned for City’s game against relegation-threatened Nottingham Forest, which ended 2-2, and he was unable to score. Then came Newcastle, which he missed completely.
Local reports have played down fears of Haaland’s ankle issue persisting, and it appears likely that he will start against Real Madrid at the Estadio Santiago Bernabéu in the Spanish capital midweek.
The player himself has also cheered fans up, taking to social media to poke fun at himself for his inability to grow a beard. Haaland is already tall, handsome, and insanely talented, but it’s nice to know he can’t be good at everything. While it may seem banal an unrelated, an injured player on the eve of missing a season-defining game would not normally invite more speculation about himself on social media with a light-hearted post.
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