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’”
Forest, Celtic into Europa League play-offs as Villa fight back
- Villa looked to be sliding to just a second defeat in Europe this campaign when Salzburg surged 2-0 ahead in Birmingham through goals from Karim Konate and Moussa Yeo
PARIS, France: Nottingham Forest will go into the Europa League play-off round after a 4-0 win over Ferencvaros on Thursday, while Celtic secured their place in the knockout phase with victory over Utrecht.
Aston Villa finished second in the league phase after recovering from two goals down to beat Red Bull Salzburg 3-2 with their spot in the last 16 already assured.
Forest stood an outside chance of climbing into the top eight going into the final round of matches but needed to beat Robbie Keane’s Ferencvaros and rely on other results going their way.
Sean Dyche’s side did their bit as Igor Jesus struck twice for Forest after Ferencvaros defender Bence Otvos scored an own goal. James McAtee tucked away a late penalty, but the win was only enough for the Premier League club to finish 13th overall.
“It has not been easy through various games, the schedule, planning, traveling and all that sort of stuff. To come out of a disappointing one in Braga (1-0 loss last week) and then to deliver that I am very pleased,” Dyche told TNT Sports.
Twice former European champions Forest will learn their play-off fate on Friday. They will face Fenerbahce or Panathinaikos over two legs next month, while Stuttgart or Ferencvaros await Celtic, who overcame lowly Utrecht 4-2 after scoring three times in the first 19 minutes in Glasgow.
Benjamin Nygren put Celtic ahead before an own goal from Utrecht captain Nick Viergever. Arne Engels converted a penalty with Celtic cruising, but Utrecht pulled it back to within one until Auston Trusty’s header gave the hosts some more breathing space.
Teen wins it for Villa
Villa looked to be sliding to just a second defeat in Europe this campaign when Salzburg surged 2-0 ahead in Birmingham through goals from Karim Konate and Moussa Yeo.
Morgan Rogers reduced the deficit and Tyrone Mings headed Villa level, with 19-year-old Jamaldeen Jimoh-Aloba netting his first senior goal to complete the turnaround for Unai Emery’s men.
“It’s a proud moment for me on my European debut,” Jimoh-Aloba told TNT Sports. “It’s just really nice to make my family proud and stuff because of all the hard work. I’ve had a lot of lows this season and a lot of highs, but this is top.”
Villa, who sit third in the Premier League, will get a welcome break before the last 16 — where they could meet Lille, PAOK, Red Star Belgrade or Celta Vigo.
Emery has won the Europa League a record four times as a manager and Rogers believes that is a considerable advantage for Villa.
“He knows how to get his way through a competition, especially this one. To have him in our corner guiding us through it is going to be massive,” said Rogers.
Lyon topped the table with seven wins from eight after completing the league phase with a 4-2 victory over PAOK. A minute’s silence was observed before kick-off in memory of the seven Greek fans killed in a minibus accident in Romania on Tuesday.
Midtjylland, Real Betis, Porto, Braga, Freiburg and Roma all finished in the top eight to ensure direct qualification for the last 16.
Rangers concluded a miserable European campaign with a 3-1 loss at Porto, their sixth defeat in eight games in the competition.
