Manchester City star striker and No. 9 Erling Haaland was substituted late in the match after hurting his knee in the team's 4-0 thrashing of Newcastle United at the Etihad in the Premier League. This comes as a major blow for the team as City will next play Real Madrid in the second leg of the Champions League.
Erling Haaland was seen limping
Manchester City were able to get past the defences of Newcastle in their own backyard. Late during the match, Haaland sat down clutching his right knee as he looked in pain but the good news is that he was able to walk off the field by himself in the 87th minute and quickly took a seat on the team bench.
He didn't receive any immediate attention after being substituted and looked unaffected when he shook hands with the players after the end of the game, as if nothing has happened to him.
What did Pep Guardiola had to say about Erling Haaland injury?
Manchester City's manager Pep Guardiola after the match spoke to the press and was hopeful that Haaland avoided any serious injury ahead of their clash vs Real Madrid.
When he was down everyone was scared, Guardiola said. He got up, walked, smiling like always. I didn’t speak to him, but the doctors didn’t come with bad news.
But, it still raises concerns about his availability against the fifteen-time Champions League champions on Wednesday, February 19.
Manchester City vs Real Madrid UEFA Champions League clash
The first leg of the playoff round between Manchester City and Real Madrid was played at the Etihad where the visitors won the match. Now the second leg will be played at the Santiago Bernabeu Stadium as City trails Madrid (3-2).
The positive news for City comes in the form of the new incoming player, Omar Marmoush, who scored his first hat-trick of the Premier League against the Newcastle United. He joined City during the January Transfer window for a reported 70 million euros ($73 million) from Eintracht Frankfurt.