Erling Haaland’s father believes it is 'touch and go' as to whether his son will feature for Manchester City against Liverpool next weekend.
Jurgen Klopp’s side make the trip to the Etihad next Saturday to take on City as the Premier League returns following the international break. Pep Guardiola's side are second in the table, eight points behind leaders Arsenal with a game in hand.
However, City could be without the forward for the big game. Haaland picked up a groin problem after scoring a hat-trick in City's 6-0 thrashing of Burnley in the FA Cup quarter-final last weekend.
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Despite initially linking up with the Norway national team, the 22-year-old left his side’s training camp in Marbella on Tuesday and travelled to Barcelona, where he was assessed by Ramon Cugat. Haaland has since returned to Marbella, where he owns a house, but his father has cast doubt on him being back in time to face the Reds following a hospital visit.
“Manchester City has a partnership with a hospital in Barcelona so he has been there for further checks and treatment,” Alfie Haaland told Norway's TV2.
“Now he has been here [Marbella] for a couple of days with the physio from the club. Firstly, I’m not a doctor and secondly, I think it’s 'touch and go', yes. You can’t just go two weeks without training and then jump right into a fight. There must be a progression there.
"They can gamble on it, but if he doesn’t get proper training with the team, then he won’t play. It is about how he responds to treatment in the next few days. He needs a lot of care and 'knuckling'. There are many sprints and there is a lot to move."
Before he added: “He would very much like to have played these two international matches.
“But he must prioritise his health, try to get his body back in place. Based on the assumptions, he is doing well, but he is very sad.”
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