Manchester City coach Pep Guardiola criticized Borussia Dortmund’s medical staff before the BVB game. Reason: The health of City newcomer Erling Haaland.
“Thanks to our great physios and doctors, he’s healthy and can play every three to four days,” Guardiola enthused at the press conference before the game (from 9 p.m. in the live ticker) both of his staff and of the player himself, adding: “In Dortmund he was injured a lot last season.”
In fact: While the Norwegian striker has not had any downtime in the current season and after 15 appearances already has an unbelievable 22 goals and three assists, he had to sit out several times in the previous season at BVB – among other things because of hip flexor and muscular problems Complaints. Haaland missed a total of 16 games in 2021/22 (29 goals in 30 appearances).
In general, injuries to BVB players have increased in recent years, especially in the muscular area. In March, the current sports director Sebastian Kehl said in the sports picture: “Of course, the large number of injuries kept us very busy this year. Knowing that each case has to be considered individually, we still try to recognize patterns, are in the midst of an interdisciplinary analysis and will then make deductions.” After the end of the season, the club parted ways with long-time physio Thomas Zetzmann.
Guardiola: Haaland? “Would have recognized a blind man”
The current absences are mainly due to unfortunate circumstances: Mahmoud Dahoud and Jamie Bynoe-Gittens are missing with shoulder injuries, Sébastien Haller after cancer, Thomas Meunier with a broken cheekbone, Mateu Morey after knee surgery.
Things are looking better for City and Haaland, who enjoys a high reputation with Guardiola because of his skills: “A blind person on the sofa would have recognized that, regardless of whether it was in Norway, Salzburg or BVB games. Even a blind person would have recognized it immediately.” , he said on the Norwegian broadcaster Viaplay. “What’s perhaps so surprising is how well he moves in tight spaces. People say he’s a long-distance machine, he can do 20, 30 meters at pace. Yes, he can do that with his natural ability .” But Haaland also moves “incredibly well in a confined space”.
Haaland is happy when he scores goals, as is the case with strikers, but: “What is surprising about Erling is how happy he is when his colleagues score a goal. Even when we are in the training game, he has a huge one Smiling when a mate scores, it shows how generous they are and how empathic they are.”
