Erling Haaland addresses Manchester City fitness concerns amid pre-season worry

Manchester City striker Erling Haaland has provided a positive update on his fitness after pre-season concerns.

The 24-year-old made his 100th Manchester City appearance at Stamford Bridge on Sunday, scoring his 91st goal for Pep Guardiola’s side during a 0-2 win over Chelsea on the opening weekend of the new Premier League season.

The 2024/25 campaign will mark Haaland’s third at the Etihad Stadium, with the striker having moved to Manchester City in a £51 million deal in July 2022 from Borussia Dortmund.

Haaland has won six trophies since his arrival in east Manchester, including two Premier League titles and the UEFA Champions League, as well the Emirates FA Cup, UEFA Super Cup and FA Community Shield.

The Norwegian was part of a quartet to be named in the PFA Premier League Team of the Year, and also secured successive Premier League Golden Boot awards in May, scoring 27 league goals last season.

Haaland scored 38 goals in 45 appearances for the Blues last season, but missed a number of matches, including the FIFA Club World Cup campaign in Saudi Arabia, due to a foot injury.

The 24-year-old was additionally forced off during a pre-season match in the United States due to injury concerns, as Manchester City embarked on a four-match tour, with friendlies against Celtic, AC Milan, Barcelona and Chelsea.

After scoring a goal during his first match of the Premier League season last Sunday in west London, Haaland has now addressed his fitness for the campaign, saying: “I’ve never felt better.”

“It was a good pre-season for me. I don’t have any pain in my body for the first time in a long time. So that’s amazing. You can also push yourself more because you don’t have something in the back of your head.”

Manchester City and Haaland will be hoping to continue their winning start to the campaign this weekend against newly-promoted Ipswich Town, who visit the Etihad Stadium on Saturday afternoon.