Haaland passed fit for Liverpool trip
Erling Haaland will play at Anfield on Sunday. That is the word from Enzo Maresca, and it is the word that matters most after a fortnight of Norwegian worry.
Haaland took himself out in the second half against Portugal during the international break, limping off the field. The sight of a striker removing himself from a match tends to travel faster than any official bulletin, and so it proved.
Maresca, speaking in his Friday press conference, was brief on the subject. His verdict on Haaland was a single word, delivered twice: good. He is good.
Marbella, golf and the Solbakken theory
The recovery plan, it turns out, involved a trip to Marbella for two or three days. Golf featured. So did rest. By the end of it, Haaland was ready for Anfield.
Norway coach Ståle Solbakken had already offered his own diagnosis, suggesting his captain was more exhausted than injured. That assessment now looks accurate.
City head to Merseyside hoping for a sixth straight win to begin the 2026/27 campaign. It is the sort of start that quietly piles pressure on everyone else, even if nobody at the club will say so out loud.
The noise off the pitch
What follows the team around is a story City know only too well. The club has been found guilty of breaking more than 100 rules related to financial fair play, a verdict reached after an investigation City did not assist with. An appeal is underway.
None of that will change what happens on Sunday afternoon. Haaland plays, the team travels, and the season keeps moving.