Guardiola details Man City's special treatment aiding Haaland's scoring form
Pep Guardiola said Manchester City must give Erling Haaland round the clock care to bring out the best in the prolific Manchester City striker.
Haaland has been in formidable form in his debut season for City, scoring 45 goals in all competitions, including 30 in the Premier League. The Norway striker will make his 40th appearance for City against Leicester, looking to build on his remarkable goal haul this season.
Haaland missed 16 games for Borussia Dortmund last season, suffering with various injuries and ailments, but has only missed three for City this term through injury. This week, Haaland posed for pictures on his social media accounts, holding two bottles of milk, with the caption: “Me and my magic potion.”
But while Haaland has credited his father Alf-Inge's homemade lasagne as one of the secrets of his success, City boss Guardiola offered a different theory for his star striker's continued goalscoring heroics.
Guardiola said City had been able to keep Haaland fit and firing on all cylinders for virtually all of the season because of the 24/7 care they provide for him to ensure the imposing forward stays in peak condition.
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“I don’t know what he did in Dortmund, but we take care of him 24 hours,” said Guardiola. “We have incredible doctors and physios, they are behind him every second of the day.
“It’s difficult to understand why you spend a lot of money and then leave them – I don’t know what the other clubs do. Today, with this demanding schedule of games every three or four days, we have to take care of them.
Erling Haaland is crucial to Man City's success (Robbie Jay Barratt - AMA/Getty Images)“It’s so demanding today, with nutrition, rest, sleep and food. For the training - how many minutes, there is data - they cannot train more than 10 or 15 minutes. People say 'why was he subbed against Leipzig when he’d scored all the goals?'
“But then he was injured after the Burnley game, out for 10 to 15 days, and cannot play for us against Liverpool or for Norway.We know we have to be like a watch, because he’s so big. So the physios, the massaging of his backs, shoulders, tendons, everything.
“He 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.”
City playmaker Kevin De Bruyne made no effort to hide his displeasure at being taken off during Tuesday's 3-0 Champions League quarter-final against Bayern Munich.
De Bruyne waved his hand dismissively at Guardiola as he came off with 22 minutes remaining, with the City boss playing down the public show of dissent.
“If I need to speak with him I will speak, but I didn't see him these few days,” said Guardiola. “It's normal. It's not the first time it's happened in modern football, it has happened in other clubs and it will happen in the future.
“I understand completely but also I understand Riyad Mahrez didn't play, Aymeric Laporte didn't play and Sergio Gomez and Kalvin Phillips didn't play. Everyone wants to play, everyone wants to do their best. Everyone wants to help the team. Can you imagine these seven years without Kevin? It's impossible.”
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