Erling Haaland missed Manchester City’s win against Luton Town due to a foot injury. After the match, Pep Guardiola confirmed that Haaland is suffering from stress on his ankle bone, denying rumors of a fracture. He added that Haaland will either return for City’s match against Crystal Palace or later during the team’s Club World Cup campaign in Saudi Arabia. Anyhow, Guardiola is a bit unsure about the return date of the Norwegian against Crystal Palace. It automatically means Haaland will mostly miss two matches. But how is the City star’s injury positive news for Cristiano Ronaldo? Let’s see.
At 38, Cristiano Ronaldo competes closely with Erling Haaland to be this year’s top goal scorer. Haaland’s injury gives Ronaldo an edge. With the injury scare, the Portuguese superstar aims to be on top, yet again! Let’s dive deeper into the details of the goal-scoring race.
Erling Haaland’s injury: Promising news for Cristiano Ronaldo?
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The last time Cristiano Ronaldo became the top scorer in a calendar year was in 2015, during his Real Madrid stint with 57 goals. In the following years, Ronaldo fell short against the likes of Lionel Messi and Robert Lewandowski, among others. This year, however, Ronaldo is close to reclaiming the crown. The 38-year-old has so far added 49 goals to his tally. Erling Haaland is just ahead of Ronaldo with 50 goals under his belt. Haaland’s Manchester City has five more matches remaining for this year. However, the rumor mill understands the player misses at least two games.
Moreover, Haaland reportedly picked up the injury during the international break and was playing with it, aggravating the wound. Therefore, one cannot rule out the chances of a speedy recovery.
Meanwhile, Cristiano Ronaldo’s Al Nassr has four more matches left this year, including tonight’s King Cup quarterfinals. As things stand now, Ronaldo is set to play in all four contests for the Saudi club. Hence, it is safe to conclude that Ronaldo has a better shot than Haaland at the top-scorers race.
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Is Haaland Ronaldo’s only competition?
No, Bayern Munich icon Harry Kane has already leveled Cristiano Ronaldo with 49 goals. Besides, Kane and Ronaldo are on the prey trail by Kylian Mbappe with 48 goals. Now, let’s see the glaring prospects for Kane and Mbappe to fetch the scoring leader’s crown. Harry Kane’s Bayern Munich has got three more games left this year. Likewise, Kylian Mbappe’s PSG is also left with three more matches in 2023.
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What are your thoughts on the exciting race for the top scorer’s crown? Whom do you wish to see crowned at the end of this year? Let us know in the comments below.
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