– Showing up is 80 percent of success. The quote belongs to the film director Woody Allen. That is true for Erling Braut Haaland. Jærbuen has scored approximately one goal per game since he left Molde in 2019. Neither bullies nor tactical geniuses can stop him – as long as he is on the pitch. But recently he suffered a foot injury. This is exactly what he must avoid at all costs. But the art of staying ready to play has never been as difficult as it is now. Zero break There are at least three reasons why this season is extra tough for Haaland. He plays in five tournaments, because Manchester City is in the World Cup for club teams. He rests less. This year he will not have a World Cup break. City is in the World Cup for club teams because they won the Champions League. The two matches take place in Saudi Arabia in a week’s time, which means a long journey and time difference. And then City will make up for the games they have missed in England. Before the injury, Haaland had started every game in the league and the Champions League since this summer. City have few options in attack, and Plan B at the top, Julian Álvarez, will preferably play deeper to replace Kevin De Bruyne. DUO: Erling Braut Haaland and Julian Álvarez have both scored plenty of goals this season, although Álvarez has played in a somewhat unfamiliar position. Photo: Dave Thompson / AP Last year, Haaland also took a break for five weeks while the rest of the stars played the WC. Now he will be with you all the way. The numbers are clear. This season he has 1,915 minutes on the pitch. At the same time last year, he had 1,560 minutes. That corresponds to four full games. Stress reaction The new injury indicates that the body is feeling the stress. Haaland has a stress reaction in his foot, which often occurs when the physical load is high. He was out against Luton on Sunday and manager Pep Guardiola said he could barely walk after the defeat to Aston Villa four days earlier. He is also not in the squad against Røde Stjerne on Wednesday. Guardiola doubts he will be ready to face Crystal Palace at the weekend, but says he will return to the training ground on Thursday. – We will see week by week how he feels, said Guardiola. WHAT NOW, PEP? Erling Braut Haaland is a key player in Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City, but whether he will be seen on the pitch in the Club World Cup is still uncertain. Photo: JUSTIN TALLIS / AFP Some bangs are normal. There have been 15 percent more injuries in the Premier League during the first three months of this season than over the same period in the last four seasons, according to the website Premier Injuries. At the same time, injuries are the biggest threat to Haaland’s career. In January 2022, ESPN asked him what he wanted to improve the most. He could have said shots or headers, but he answered “not to get hurt”. – If you ask me about the goal for 2022, it is not to get injured. If you ask me about the goal of my career, it is not to get injured, Haaland said at the time. Unfortunately, he is a type that can easily get into trouble. Out for four months We saw that in Dortmund, where he struggled with his muscles. Haaland is 194 centimeters tall and has raw top speed. Heavy bones and explosive muscles are extra vulnerable. In two and a half years in Germany, he had eight injuries, according to Transfermarkt, and five of them were about the muscles. These four kept him out for 127 days. They cost him 28 games for club and national team. Since he was wreaking havoc on the pitch, the injuries became the only thing the critics could accuse him of: that he was fragile, that he broke down, that the rhythm was constantly broken. Haaland knows how dangerous injuries are. History is full of vulnerable geniuses. Legends can withstand anything Only in the Premier League right now can you find names that could have been world class, if they had been more robust. Take Callum Wilson, who actually scores more often than Haaland. If Wilson delivers as he does now, and plays the whole season, he will end up with 46 league goals. But Wilson only manages a few games in a row before getting injured. He is not a regular at Newcastle, and has only played nine times for England. INJURY TROUBLE: Callum Wilson (left) has not played more than 40 club games in a season since the 2014/15 season. Photo: ANDREW COULDRIDGE / Reuters This is part of the legends that is under-communicated. Pelé was a great talent, but he became the greatest because he played 70 games a year. Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo scored 50 goals per season for more than a decade because they endured everything. Mohamed Salah has played 234 of 244 league games for Liverpool since 2017. Wilson scores more often. But Salah always shows up. Bulls and sunglasses Fortunately for Haaland, City have gained control over his muscles. He played almost everything last season and has only had one muscle injury at City. Guardiola says the staff are working around the clock to keep him fit, with massages, analysis and careful planning. In fact, Guardiola claims that Haaland spends more time in the training center than out on the pitch. Being injury-free is more important than getting better at heading. Haaland uses all means for his body to perform at its maximum, whether it’s meditation, sunglasses in the evening or beef heart on the plate. He has his own physiotherapist, Mario Pafundi, who follows him from City to the national team. What he and his staff are doing seems to be working. Titles at stake Now it’s about adjusting the physical load, so that Haaland doesn’t get any more injuries like this. Staying fit is not only key for Haaland personally, but for City as a team. Guardiola spent much of last season adjusting the team to Haaland’s strengths, and when it happened in the spring, they won the treble. The fact that Haaland has played so much recently shows how difficult he is to replace. Moreover, the winners are often the ones who keep the stars on the pitch. BIG LOAD: Erling Braut Haaland plays most of the time for Manchester City. Photo: CARL RECINE / Reuters City took the lead in the league last season when Arsenal lost their best stopper, William Saliba. Since then, they themselves have missed playmaker Kevin De Bruyne, who was injured in the first round of the league. Rodri, the team’s conductor and mastermind, has been suspended for three league games and City have lost every single one. In a period where many teams are without important players, the title can be decided by doctors and physiotherapists. Haaland must hope that the foot injury is a rarity. As long as he is on the pitch, the biggest game is won.
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