OSLO: Erling Haaland played down concerns he sustained an injury in training with Norway this week — and revealed a message he was sent by Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola before going away on international duty.
Haaland has linked up with his national team ahead of friendly matches against the Czech Republic on Friday and Slovakia on Tuesday.
Footage from a Norway training session on Tuesday showed Haaland in apparent pain, even if the Norwegian team doctor said afterward there was no problem with the striker’s fitness.
Speaking at a news conference in Oslo on Thursday, Haaland said he was “feeling fine.”
“I didn’t walk off the training — I don’t know who wrote that,” he said in English. “I trained the full training and I’m feeling good and ready to play the game.”
Guardiola will be hoping Haaland comes through Norway’s games unscathed, with City facing a run of big matches after the international break in their bid to win the English Premier League-FA Cup-Champions League treble for the second straight season.
Indeed, City play Arsenal, one of their rivals for the Premier League title, in their first game back on March 31.
Haaland, the top scorer in the Premier League last season and this season so far, has already missed nearly two months of this season because of a foot injury.
“The only thing Pep said,” Haaland said cheerfully in quotes carried by Norwegian newspaper VG, “was, ‘If you’re not well when you come back, I’ll come after you.’”
Haaland referenced the challenge of playing so many games for club and country each season, with the March international break coming at an awkward time for club managers ahead of the final weeks of the domestic seasons.
“It’s nice to play for the country,” Haaland said in VG. “But facing Arsenal next weekend versus (playing) the Czech Republic at home is different. I’m not going to lie. There’s a big difference.
“But what do you do? There are as many games as possible on the calendar. That seems to be the goal.”
Norway haven’t qualified for the European Championship being played in Germany across June and July.
Haaland plays down injury concerns and reveals message from Guardiola ahead of joining Norway squad
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Haaland plays down injury concerns and reveals message from Guardiola ahead of joining Norway squad
- Haaland said he was “feeling fine”
- “The only thing Pep said,” Haaland said cheerfully in quotes carried by Norwegian newspaper VG, “was, ‘If you’re not well when you come back, I’ll come after you’”
Napoli cruise past Milan to book Italian Super Cup final spot in Riyadh
- Napoli make second Super Cup final in new four-team format, which was introduced in the Kingdom in 2023
- Milan rue missed chances as Rafael Leao’s absence due to knock proves costly
RIYADH: On one of the coldest evenings of the year in Riyadh, the atmosphere inside Al-Awwal Park was anything but subdued. Thousands of fans braved the conditions to witness another major chapter in Saudi Arabia’s growing international calendar, as Napoli and AC Milan went head-to-head in the first semi-final of the 2025/26 Italian Super Cup.
It wasn’t to be for I Rossoneri, as goals from David Neres and Rasmus Hojlund proved decisive for Napoli, sending them into the Super Cup final for the second time in the new four-team format after missing out on last year’s edition.
Backed by raucous Forza Milan chants, Milan nearly opened the scoring in the fifth minute when Ruben Loftus-Cheek tested Vanja Milinkovic-Savic, who reacted sharply to make a vital save.
Napoli responded with a spell of pressure of their own, but were repeatedly denied by a well-organised Milan defence.
Milan came close again in the 34th minute, as Adrien Rabiot was found inside the six-yard box from a dipping cross, only for his effort to fly over Milinkovic-Savic.
They would keep that momentum going as just a few minutes later, a swift counter-attack led by Alexis Saelemaekers found Christopher Nkunku on the edge of the box, though his strike also flew over goal.
Napoli punished Milan’s missed chances in the 39th minute. A low pass from Rasmus Hojlund across the box was parried by Mike Maignan straight into the path of David Neres, who made no mistake slotting the ball into the open net.
Napoli pushed for a second before the interval, with Hojlund testing Maignan again, who turned the striker’s effort behind for a corner. The Milan goalkeeper was called into action once again in the second half, producing a strong save to deny Amir Rrahmani.
Yet it was another powerful strike that finally broke past the Frenchman, with Rasmus Hojlund capitalising on a deep through ball from Leonardo Spinazzola to extend Napoli’s lead in the 63rd minute and tighten their grip on the game.
Milan fans briefly found a lift in the 75th minute when Luka Modric came out to a standing ovation, though it proved to be their only notable moment of the second half. Despite enjoying spells of possession, Massimiliano Allegri’s side were unable to break through and exited the tournament after just 90 minutes.
Napoli will now turn their attention to the final, where they will look to lift the Italian Super Cup for the third time in their history. For Riyadh, the semi-final marked another night of elite European football, with fans set to witness more action in tomorrow’s semi-final between Bologna and Inter Milan.
