Haaland sparks Man City injury scare ahead of Liverpool showdown

Manchester City goal machine Erling Haaland has handed the club's fans a fresh injury scare amid an already tense period. During yesterday's clash against Portugal, the striker signalled to the bench before limping off the pitch.

This was Norway's final match of the international break in the Nations League. Haaland will return immediately to Manchester, where the medical staff will do everything possible to ensure he is fit for Sunday's trip to Liverpool. The fixture carries immense significance, not only because City currently lead the Premier League table with a perfect record, but also because it will be their first match since an independent commission found the club guilty on the majority of financial breach charges. The atmosphere at Anfield will undoubtedly be hostile toward the reigning champions, making the presence of Haaland—who has already netted seven goals this season—absolutely vital.

However, Norway head coach Ståle Solbakken moved to downplay the concerns, revealing the issue was largely down to fatigue and that there had been a pre-match agreement for Haaland to come off after roughly 60 minutes.

"After our discussion the previous day, we had hoped he would play around 60 minutes, but he managed 65," Solbakken explained.

Liverpool are also dealing with significant injury worries following the international break, with Alexander Isak and Cody Gakpo emerging as major doubts after suffering knocks.