Pep Guardiola issues encouraging update on Erling Haaland’s fitness after first-season difficulties

Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has issued a hugely encouraging update on the fitness of Erling Haaland, following struggles with fitness and injury.

The Norway international striker has been in exemplary form once again during the opening weeks of the new season, scoring 13 goals in the first matches and aiding Manchester City’s run of unbeaten form from the opening competitive game.

Crucially, and largely in light of Julian Alvarez’s exit from the Etihad Stadium for Atletico Madrid during the summer transfer window, Erling Haaland has managed to remain fit and avoided the minor problems that have hindered his consistency in past seasons.

Last season in particular, Haaland sustained a bone problem in his foot that prevented a run of matches and any appearances at all for Manchester City during the festive period of the season, opening up opportunities for the likes of Alvarez to come into the side.

Speaking prior to City’s Premier League meeting with Southampton this weekend, Pep Guardiola revealed that the club’s mainstay striker is now feeling ‘much better’ than he did during his first season with the club.

“I have the feeling this season that he feels better, recovers better, and feels better,” said Guardiola. “He’s an incredible professional in that terms, he takes care really well. I have the feeling that he feels really, really, really good in those terms.”

Discussing whether it was something that was focussed on during the off-season, with Erling Haaland being amongst a select few players that had the entire summer off, Pep Guardiola explained, “He didn’t have the Euros, unfortunately for him and for Norway but I would say that he had one month and a half of rest and made a good preparation, and had incredible guys that helped him here in what he needs.”

Guardiola continued, “Not just him, all of them, but especially him. And he’s focussed more than ever on what he has to do every three days, and he feels – especially in the first season after he arrived, after the game he was so exhausted and needed time to recover.

“And we cannot say it was bad the first season, he scored a lot of goals and we won the Treble, it’s not about that. But I have the feeling that, he speaks with the guys, ‘No I feel good, I feel good’.

“Because of course without… Phil (Foden), now, is starting to get better, and without Oscar (Bobb) the potential players can play striker, how good they move in small spaces, how good they are in front of the goal.

“So Oscar is not here yet, and Phil is getting better, so right now he’s a really, really important piece in our team.”

Foden is only just getting back to his usual self and has been operating in his preferred number 10 role when called upon by Pep Guardiola so far this season, having overcome fitness and illness challenges that have hampered his start to the campaign.

As for Oscar Bobb, the Norwegian is not expected to make a return to Manchester City duties until early on in 2025, having sustained a broken bone in his leg prior to the first game of the new Premier League season.