Pep Guardiola Addresses Erling Haaland's "Injury" Concerns and Recent Goal Struggles

Manchester City’s star striker Erling Haaland had fans talking after a video showed him holding his shin during training. Many wondered if he was hurt, but he quickly laughed it off and continued training, hinting it might have just been a playful moment. Pep Guardiola, City’s manager, dismissed the idea of an injury and pointed out that sometimes the media looks for stories even when there’s nothing to worry about.

The very following day, Haaland played the entire 90 minutes against Sporting Lisbon. City lost the match 1-0, their third in a row. Haaland had many chances but was unable to score. Some shots were saved, some missed, and one even hit the crossbar. This came after another tough encounter at Bournemouth, in which Haaland also failed to score.

For Haaland, not scoring as frequently as he used to is unusual. Normally a goal-scoring machine, he hasn’t scored in six of his last ten games. However, he still has an impressive 14 goals in 14 games this season, showing he’s still doing well despite the recent dip.

Over his last three games against Sporting, Bournemouth, and Southampton, Haaland has had 17 shots but hasn’t converted as expected, even missing a penalty in one game. After the match against Sporting, he looked visibly frustrated, quickly heading to the locker room without celebrating.

Some fans and analysts think Haaland might need a break, but Guardiola isn’t convinced. When asked if Haaland needs rest, Guardiola joked, “Maybe he can rest during international games!” He reminded everyone that Haaland had the summer off, so fatigue shouldn’t be an issue.

Ideally, if City had been winning comfortably, Guardiola could have given Haaland some rest during games. However, with City struggling in recent matches, they need Haaland on the field to try to turn things around.

City’s recent losses aren’t all due to Haaland’s missed chances. The team overall hasn’t been as sharp, and opponents are making it harder for them to find open chances. While more goals from Haaland would definitely help, City’s issues go beyond just his form.

City’s next game is against Brighton, and if Haaland stays healthy, he’ll be in the lineup, ready to assist his club recover. His current season stats reveal that he is still doing well, and the recent goal drought could be a brief blip.

Haaland returning to his usual scoring ways will certainly help City regain momentum, but it will need the entire club to overcome their recent struggles. City fans know what Haaland is capable of, and a few more goals from him could be just what they need to get their season moving in the right direction. Guardiola’s confidence in Haaland reminds everyone that he’s still their star player, and fans can look forward to him returning to top form soon.