Do robots get hurt? One probably does, as the Erling Haaland injury has thrown a wrench into Pep Guardiola’s plans this season.
Haaland last played for Manchester City at the start of December, when the Cityzens surprisingly lost to Aston Villa 1-0. Since then, he has missed eight games as City have won the Club World Cup, started their FA Cup campaign, and will resume their Premier League campaign with a game against Newcastle.
So, what happened to Erling Haaland?
Erling Haaland injury
Pep Guardiola talked in the press conference before the game against Newcastle and revealed that a foot injury is set to keep the Norwegian hitman out of action till the end of January at the very least.
Fortunately for City, that period of nearly three weeks is only three games as City next play on January 26 in the FA Cup after the game against Newcastle.
However, the nature and extent of the injury will undoubtedly worry Guardiola. Haaland had a great first season in English football but it made people forget that the striker has been fairly injury-prone throughout his career.
His all-action, dynamic style of play combined with his Herculean physique makes him a natural candidate to get injured more often, especially in the lower body.
Therefore, it is understandable that City are taking things very cautiously so as to prevent any lingering issues.
Guardiola revealed that he will go to Abu Dhabi a week early, as the team is set to join him later in a warm-weather training camp, taking advantage of the 10-day gap between fixtures.
The manager also said the injury was to his bone and the full extent of it was not judged correctly at the beginning. Even his return date by the end of January is only a tentative one and not definite, really hammering home how delicate the situation is.
So, how do City deal with it?
Honing without Haaland…
Fortunately for City, they might just be the only team in the world who can keep on plugging along even without the presence of Haaland.
Phil Foden has really come into his own this season and Julian Alvarez has stepped up as well. City transition to a more fluid, positional style in the absence of a natural focal point up front and the same can be expected here.
They don’t quite have “two quality players at every position” like is claimed by many but such is their embarrassment of riches that it’s “No Haaland, no problem” for the Cityzens.
