Erling Haaland was among the Manchester City players to return to training on Thursday, back into the storm that threatens the club’s future in the Premier League.
City have enough problems at the moment after being found guilty of all their financial breaches following a three-year long investigation. They return to action this weekend still top of the Premier League but into the unforgiving setting of Anfield where Liverpool will be fully motivated to pile on more misery.
Injury issues seem insignificant in the grand scheme of things but tell that to Enzo Maresca who will be tasked with keeping his players focused on matters on the pitch. There was a major scare for the City boss last Sunday with Haaland limping off playing for Norway, pulling up in the second-half.
Haaland asked to come off with Norway boss Stale Solbakken obliging. He later attempted to ease concerns over the striker’s fitness, insisting the change was down to tiredness.
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‘He [Haaland] was tired against Wales. That’s why we had a heart-to-heart conversation yesterday. We went through the possible options,’ Solbakken said.
While he did not confirm any fresh injury problem, some of Solbakken’s comments were concerning, describing Haaland as ‘thoroughly spent’ after his fourth game in 10 days for his country.
The 26-year-old was among the players granted a few extra days off by their clubs with Haaland pictured returning to City’s training facilities on Thursday.
City are in no position to rest their striker on Merseyside this weekend with Maresca expected to provide an update when he speaks to the press on Friday.
Haaland is among a group of ultra-fit Premier League stars feeling the strain of an exhausting year, with Bruno Fernandes and Declan Rice, usually ever-present for club and country, also among those dealing with knocks.
The City star has played the full 90 minutes in each of City’s five Premier League games and in their sole Champions League game to date. Seven goals in those six appearances tells us there is nothing wrong with his form but some of his physical stats, albeit across a small sample size, show a slight decline in output.
Distance covered, number of sprints per match and top speed are among the metrics slightly down this season compared to last and while they will not be a cause for alarm, it does chime with talk of the player feeling tired.
‘It is plausible this could be a case of him being tired rather than injured,’ Stephen Smith, CEO and founder of Kitman Labs which specialises in injury welfare and performance analytics, told Metro.
‘It also points to the awareness and education level of some of these players. Years before, players have felt a level of fatigue like that and tried to push through because they think that is there job. That is no longer the case. Whether this was fatigue, a hangover from the World Cup or something else, it is in his numbers.
‘His numbers are a little bit lower compared to last season. But this is five games versus a full season and at the start of a season, you would expect physicality levels not to be at their prime. But it shows what to watch for.
‘I wouldn’t necessarily suggest it showcases a decline in those levels at this stage. But they [City] would like to see those numbers even out before jumping in and say is there fatigue building up. I would say it is likely those numbers increase throughout the season.
‘City will be comparing things like his high speed running numbers against his usual baseline, they will be looking at other wellness scores and his force output from things like jump tests. If they sit within his normal range, it will be considered a bit of tiredness or fatigue. If those things have started to drop, it may be the early signal of something more.’
City will need firing on all cylinders if they are to stand any chance of silencing an Anfield crowd that will be baying for blood on Sunday.