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Erling Haaland leaves Manchester City with fitness concerns ahead of Champions League return as footage emerges
Pep Guardiola has indicated that Erling Haaland will be subject to medical assessments in the coming days after sustaining knocks in the 1-1 draw against Newcastle.
The weekend’s second successive draw for the Premier League champions also saw Erling Haaland register his first blank of the season, having scored a staggering 10 goals in his opening five top-flight matches.
No goals against Newcastle United on Saturday also means that Manchester City legend Sergio Aguero retains his status as being the only player to score in the opening six games of a Premier League season.
But the match did not come and go without Haaland being at the centre of a physical battle for his side, sustaining a number of heavy challenges from Newcastle players as they looked to impose themselves on the game.
Television cameras at the weekend pointed out that the 24-year-old has sustained a heavy blow to his achilles, tearing his sock and drawing blood in a problem that the Manchester City striker was able to overcome and re-emerge for the second-half.
However, speaking to the media after City’s 1-1 draw on Tyneside on Saturday afternoon, Pep Guardiola indicated that his star striker will be subject to assessments from club medics in the coming days after sustaining several knocks in the game.
The Norway international was also spotted leaving St James’ Park for Manchester City’s flight back to Manchester with a slight limp, in an injury situation that is unlikely to concern club officials too much in the coming hours and days.
Manchester City’s relentless schedule does not ease up any time soon, as they return to Manchester on Saturday afternoon before travelling to Slovakia on matchday two of the UEFA Champions League league phase.
Slovan Bratislava are Pep Guardiola’s next opponents in Europe’s premier club competition, as Manchester City will look to open their account for a new season both on the goals front and in terms of wins in the new revamped format of the tournament.
The injury scene for the contest is expected to remain unchanged too, with Kevin De Bruyne, Rodri, Nathan Ake, and Oscar Bobb all set to remain sidelined and maintaining their respective recovery plans.
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