“It’s Been Horrible”- Erling Haaland Opens Up On His Rehabilitation Days After Painful Foot Injury

Erling Haaland has once again put the Premier League on notice. Manchester City sounded the alarm horns following their game against Everton, with Pep Guardiola’s men bagging a 2-0 win over Everton at home. Haaland was the star of the show, with the striker bagging both goals in the second half in quick succession. The striker talked with the media following the game, addressing his time away from injury.

Notably, Haaland picked up an ankle injury in December during City’s clash against Aston Villa. While it was nothing serious at first, medical reports displayed a stress fracture, forcing the striker to miss over two months of action. The Norwegian returned to regular action earlier this month against Burnley as he came in off the bench. However, the striker failed to make an impact for his side, with Julian Alvarez stealing the show for the Cityzens. Well, he opened up about his struggles during the rehabilitation. 

Erling Haaland not amused with his time on the sidelines

The Norwegian did not mince his words while describing his time on the sidelines after picking up an injury last December. The striker opened up on his frustration following the win against Everton, adding, “Nah, it’s been horrible. I really don’t like it. But it makes you appreciate more going into training every day, meeting up for games, being a bit nervous before games, all of these things. It makes your mind think a bit different. Now coming into training, I appreciate it so much more suddenly because I know how it is without it. It makes you think.”

Haaland’s injury in December was a colossal blow for the Cityzens with Kevin De Bruyne also out of the squad at the time. However, Julian Alvarez stepped up to the challenge during the duo’s absence, leading the charge from the front. The Argentine youngster has made 34 appearances for Manchester City across all competitions, bagging a staggering 25 goal contributions to his name.

While Haaland’s return might push the player at the back of the line, Alvarez has done everything in his absence to consolidate his spot on the playing eleven.

What does Haaland and De Bruyne’s return mean for Julian Alvarez?

Pep Guardiola surely has an interesting issue on his hands. Manchester City has some of the top players in the league in their ranks, and it is not possible to provide everyone the much-needed playing time. While the Spaniard used Julian Alvarez as a replacement for Kevin De Bruyne and Erling Haaland in recent months, the duo’s return has raised questions over Alvarez’s spot in the team.

READ MORE: Erling Haaland- “With Kevin De Bruyne, I Know I’m Going To Get ‘The Perfect Pass’, Nothing Bad About Others”

The Argentine star has been nothing short of impressive this season, and benching him could send a wrong signal to the player. Pep Guardiola has tried to tackle the issue by deploying the player as an attacking midfielder, with De Bruyne starting off the bench on rare occasions since his return. However, this cannot go on for long, especially with the team reaching the business end of the season.

While Pep could provide the Argentine with constant appearances off the bench with some odd starts, it doesn’t do justice to the player’s hard work in recent months. What do you think of Julian Alvarez’s situation? Let us know in the comments below.

WATCH THIS STORY: Cristiano Jr’s Insane Training Schedule