Haaland Fit for Anfield After Portugal Substitution

Manchester City expect Erling Haaland to be available for Sunday's trip to Liverpool after the striker's early exit in Norway's 2-1 defeat to Portugal was put down to fatigue rather than injury.

Haaland came off after 67 minutes in the UEFA Nations League fixture, having asked to be replaced. Jørgen Strand Larsen took his place. The sight of the forward limping and requesting a change left some doubt over his availability for the match at Anfield.

That doubt has now been eased. Paul Hirst of The Times has reported that Haaland was suffering from nothing more than tiredness and is not carrying an injury. He is likely to be fit and available as normal against Liverpool.

Norway manager Ståle Solbakken said Haaland was among a group of players who left the camp straight after the Portugal defeat, telling reporters they flew off in "a plane you and I can't afford".

City return to action on Sunday against Andoni Iraola's Liverpool at Anfield. It is their first match since an independent commission declared the club guilty of breaching the Premier League's financial rules on 114 counts between 2009-18.

City have vehemently denied the verdict and filed a formal appeal. Proceedings are set to commence in the next month before possible sanctions will be decided.

Seven From Seven as Maresca Finds His Feet

On the pitch, Enzo Maresca's side are seven wins from seven in all competitions since August's 3-0 Community Shield defeat to Arsenal in Wales. They have won their first five Premier League games of the 2026/27 campaign.

City went into the international break on the back of a 5-3 win over Sunderland at the Etihad Stadium. A new-look midfield has impressed in the early weeks of Maresca's tenure.

Enzo Fernandez, Ayyoub Bouaddi and Elliot Anderson were brought in during the summer to remake the middle of the park. Rodri, Bernardo Silva and Tijjani Reijnders moved on. The incoming trio cost north of £320 million.

Officials at the Etihad Stadium will be pleased with how Maresca and his staff have handled life after Pep Guardiola, who left his role in May following a decade of success in England.

Maresca is set to speak to his squad for the first time since the guilty verdict on Thursday. He was recently seen arriving at the City Football Academy for the first time since the September 29 verdict.

The Italian will hold his pre-match press conference on Friday. Matters on the pitch are not expected to dominate the agenda.

The verdict has darkened the mood around the Etihad Stadium. Sunday will show whether it has reached the pitch.