Manchester City forward Erling Haaland has reduced worries about his fitness and confirmed that he is ‘prepared’ to participate in Norway’s upcoming friendly with Czech Republic.
Video from Norway’s training session on Monday showed Haaland grimacing and limping, appearing to be in some discomfort, which had City fans worried before their important match with title rivals Arsenal in just over a week.
Some reports suggested Haaland – this season’s leading goal scorer in the Premier League – even left the session early and did not come back.
Haaland has had difficulties with ankle and foot injuries this season and there was concern that the 23-year-old might have experienced a repeat of a previous problem.
Nevertheless, the striker declared himself fit for Norway’s matches with Czech Republic and Slovakia as he spoke to the media today.
‘I’m feeling fine. I didn’t leave the training,’ Haaland told reporters.
‘I don’t know who said that. I completed the entire training session.
‘I am feeling good and I am ready to play the match.’
Haaland revealed that City’s players were warned to come back from the international break without injuries to avoid upsetting Pep Guardiola.
‘He [Guardiola] said, ‘If one of you comes back not fresh, I will come after you!’, and smiled,’ the former Borussia Dortmund attacker explained.
Norway head coach Stale Solbakken confirmed Haaland would start against Czech Republic if he was fully fit during his press conference on Thursday.
Haaland will earn his 30th cap for Norway if he plays at Oslo’s Ullevaal Stadion tomorrow night.
The forward has scored 27 goals in 29 games for Norway and is already his country’s second highest scorer of all time, behind Jorgen Juve (33).
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