Man City’s Haaland injury fears as Guardiola and co give ’24/7 care’

Guardiola previews Man City's Premier League clash with Leicester

Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has stressed the importance of providing Erling Haaland with 24/7 care to prevent his incredible impact from being stifled by ill-timed injuries. Guardiola admitted the club must be ‘like a watch’ because of Haaland’s significance in their hunt for the treble.

The 22-year-old striker was expected to stamp his authority on the Premier League after joining City from Borussia Dortmund last summer.

But his staggering tally of 45 goals in all competitions, including 30 in the league, was beyond all expectations as the Citizens edge closer to their treble dreams.

A leading concern that Haaland carried over from Germany was his injury record. He missed 16 games for Dortmund last season.

However, he has only been absent three times this term, and Guardiola has offered some insight into how City have maintained him at peak condition.

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He told reporters: “I don’t know what he did in Dortmund, but we take care of him 24 hours. We have incredible doctors and physios. They are behind him every second of the day.

“It’s difficult to understand why you spend a lot of money and then leave them – I don’t know what the other clubs do.

“Today, with this demanding schedule of games every three or four days, we have to take care of them.

“It’s so demanding today, with nutrition, rest, sleep and food. For the training – how many minutes, there is data – they cannot train more than 10 or 15 minutes.

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“People say, ‘Why was he subbed against Leipzig when he’d scored all the goals?’ But then he was injured after the Burnley game, out for 10 to 15 days, and cannot play for us against Liverpool or for Norway.

“We know we have to be like a watch because he’s so big. So the physios, the massaging of his backs, shoulders, tendons, everything.

“He works so much time inside the training centre, much more than on the pitch. Today, in modern football, players train more behind the scenes than on the pitch.”

Man City host Leicester City at the Etihad Stadium on Saturday evening, knowing victory would move them three points behind Premier League leaders Arsenal.

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