Haaland injury fears raise alarm bells at Manchester City

Concerns over Erling Haaland's injury have raised alarms within Manchester City regarding the need to manage the striker's minutes carefully to avoid a long-term absence from the pitch, especially given the team's heavy reliance on him this season.

Erling Haaland sat on the bench during Manchester City's match against AEK Athens in the UEFA Champions League on Tuesday after suffering a knock in the closing minutes of the game against Ipswich in the Premier League. City managed to win against AEK Athens by five goals to one without the need to involve their Norwegian striker.

Enzo Maresca confirmed after the match that Haaland will be ready to start against Aston Villa on Saturday, but what happened reinforced the importance of resting the player, who has participated in 620 minutes out of 630 minutes played by Manchester City in the Premier League this season.

Manchester Evening News reports that Haaland deserved to be substituted early during the match against Ipswich, after Manchester City led 3-1 with a quarter of an hour remaining. The match also saw 12 minutes of added time, during which the player suffered a knock.

The report adds that the 26-year-old Norwegian forward has played more matches than any other player at Manchester City since the start of the 2024-2025 season. Norway's coach, Ståle Solbakken, had previously warned about the fatigue players are experiencing due to the pressure of matches and the short rest periods.

Solbakken said: "He has been completely drained. Some of my players had only six or seven days off, then the season started straight away, followed by a short national team gathering, which represents an extraordinary pressure."

He added: "He is part of the group that bears the greatest burden, as his team participates in all competitions, and because he is a key player in it."

The importance of managing Haaland's minutes increases with Antoine Semenyo's injury absence until December, limiting Mariska's options to replace the Norwegian striker.

The report suggests that Manchester City may grant Haaland an opportunity to rest during the clash against Brighton in the EFL Cup next week. The coach may also have to rest him in one of the team's upcoming four matches in the Premier League and UEFA Champions League before the international break in November.

Despite Phil Foden's impressive hat-trick in midweek, alongside other attacking options like Iliman Ndiaye, Rayan Cherki, and the young talent Floyd Samba, the absence of Haaland remains a significant loss for the team. This makes balancing the benefits of his abilities with maintaining his fitness a priority to avoid losing his services for an extended period.