Erling Haaland is barely training at Man City as 45-goal striker seeks more goal-scoring records
ERLING HAALAND is barely training during his record-breaking goal hunt.
Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola revealed his 45-goal striker is being carefully monitored around the clock to ensure he stays fit.
AFPErling Haaland has well and truly hit the ground running in his debut Man City season[/caption]
The Norwegian giant has scored a staggering 45 goals this campaignREX
EPACity boss Pep Guardiola has revealed the former Dortmund man barely trains[/caption]
Although Haaland is at the Etihad Campus for hours each day, he is usually inside working with physio and masseurs.
City know he had injury problems during his final season at Borussia Dortmund and are determined to ensure there is no repeat during their Treble hunt.
Guardiola said: “I don’t know what he did at Dortmund but we take care of him 24 hours a day.
“We have incredible doctors and physios, they are behind him every second of the day.
“It’s difficult to understand why you would spend a lot of money on a player and then leave them.
“Today with this demanding schedule of games every three or four days we have to take care of them.
“It’s so demanding today, with nutrition, rest, sleep, food.
“For the training – when you are deciding how many minutes, there is data which says they cannot train more than 10 or 15 minutes.
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“Erling works so much time inside the training centre, much more than on the pitch. Today in modern football, players train more behind the scenes than on the pitch.
“We know we have to be like a watch because he’s so big.
“The physios, massage his back, shoulders, tendons, everything.”
Haaland is chasing down a number of records – including becoming the Premier League’s highest-ever scorer in one season.
The £51.4million man is currently on 30 league goals going into Saturday’s home clash with relegation-threatened Leicester.
The current record of 34 in one season is held by Andy Cole and Alan Shearer – both set in a 42-game season.
Erling Haaland has the Prem record for the most goals in a single season in his sightsREX
Yet Haaland could also overtake Clive Allen’s tally from 1986-87 of 49 goals in all competitions.
Even Dixie Dean’s astonishing haul of 63 goals in one season set in 1927-28 could come under threat if Haaland stays fit and firing.
Meanwhile Guardiola – whose team face Leicester on Saturday – says he is delighted to have the destiny of this season’s title race back in his team’s own hands.
Leaders Arsenal dropped two points against Liverpool on Sunday which meant City closed the gap to six points – and have a game in hand.
He said: “Definitely it’s better and absolutely we enjoy it. I would love to be in Arsenal’s position, right now.
“I don’t know what will happen in one week – or in another nine games when we play Brighton – but I’m delighted to be in the position we are.”
