Manchester City forward Erling Haaland has allayed fears his fitness and confirmed he is ‘ready’ to feature in Norway’s upcoming friendly with Czech Republic.
Footage from Norway’s training session on Monday appeared to show Haaland wincing and hobbling, seemingly in some discomfort, which had City fans everywhere sweating ahead of their all-important run-in.
Some reports suggested Haaland – this season’s top goalscorer in the Premier League – even left the session early and did not return.
Haaland has struggled with ankle and foot injuries this season and there was some concern that the 23-year-old may have suffered a recurrence of a previous problem.
However, the striker has passed himself fit for Norwegian’s double-header with Czech Republic and Slovakia as he faced the media this afternoon.
‘I’m feeling fine. I didn’t walk off the training,’ Haaland told reporters.
‘I don’t know who wrote that. I trained a full training session.
I am feeling good and I am ready to play the match.’
Haaland revealed how Pep Guardiola had warned City’s players to return injury free before the international break.
‘He said, ‘If one of you comes back not fresh, I will come after you!”, and smiled,’ the former Borussia Dortmund attacker explained.
During his press conference on Thursday, Norway head coach Stale Solbakken confirmed Haaland would start against Czech Republic as long as he was fully fit.
Haaland will win his 30th cap for Norway should he run out 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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