Man City taking no chances on Haaland as they dispatch a therapist to monitor him
Man City taking no chances on Erling Haaland as they dispatch a therapist to monitor him while away training in Norway.
Haaland joined the Norway squad for the international break, with a member of Manchester City’s medical team joining him.
Manchester City sports therapist accompanied Erling Haaland on international duty to monitor his routine while away from the Etihad.
With 14 goals in ten games and new Premier League records for his start in the division, Haaland has had an unstoppable start to life at City.
He will now travel with Norway for the upcoming two weeks to play in Nations League games against Slovenia and Serbia.
In order to maintain Haaland’s fitness as a top priority for both club and country, it appears that City has moved to collaborate with the Norwegian national team.
And City sports therapist Mario Pafundi also joined the camp with the task of observing Haaland’s training in preparation for a return to Premier League action.
Speaking at the start of the camp, Norway manager Stale Solbakken confirmed that Pafundi has joined their set-up as a third therapist on a temporary basis, adding that it was Haaland’s idea.
“As we take in 26-27 players each time, it is a lot for two therapists. We have also been looking for a third therapist. Then Erling made the brilliant suggestion to me that he has a very good therapist,” Solbakken said.
“Now I have talked to him a lot in the last week. That is why we have brought in a third therapist, at least on a temporary basis. It is of course no coincidence that he comes from Manchester City and that Erling is part of it, but he works with the other players as well. He is not just Erling’s man here.’
The Daily Mail report that Pafundi’s role from a City perspective will be to maintain Haaland’s daily routine from the Etihad after he struck up a bond with Haaland since the striker’s arrival at the club.
However, if City wishes for Haaland’s game time to be managed for Norway, they may be disappointed, with Solbakken describing his own concerns at Haaland’s playing time recently, and confirming he will not rest his star striker.
“At least it is absolutely certain,” he said when asked if he would lean heavily on Haaland in this week’s fixtures, adding: “I was a bit worried when I saw the last game against Wolverhampton when he ran around like a fool at 3-0 to make it 4-0.
“He yells and slaps god and every man because he doesn’t get the ball. I screamed ‘calm down, Erling, there are more important games to come.’
“[City] have charged him very well, he has had his minutes of rest. It is often from 70 minutes onwards that the fatigue sets in, we balanced that well even in the last session too.”
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