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Manchester City

Haaland says he is OK after limping off in City's 3-2 win over Ipswich

Erling Haaland told Enzo Maresca he is OK after limping off in Man City's 3-2 Premier League win over Ipswich, with Antoine Semenyo's injury still unclear.

Medianaija Editorial3 min read

Haaland scored twice and has 12 goals in all competitions, but Antoine Semenyo's knock is still to be assessed.

Manchester City striker Erling Haaland has told head coach Enzo Maresca that he is OK, after limping heavily off the pitch at the Etihad Stadium following City's 3-2 Premier League win over Ipswich on Saturday, 17 October.

Haaland scored twice, one in each half, and took his tally for the season to 12 goals in all competitions. USA Today counted eight of those in the Premier League, which left him three goals ahead in the Golden Boot race. The win was City's seventh straight Premier League victory of the season.

The worry came late. Haaland was believed to have taken a bang on the foot near the end, and others wondered whether he had a knee problem. The Athletic reported that he looked in considerable discomfort after a collision while trying to score a third in the dying minutes.

At his post-match press conference, Maresca said Haaland was one of five City players who appeared to be hurt, alongside substitute Antoine Semenyo, Matheus Nunes, England left-back Nico O'Reilly and Mateo Kovacic. "I asked all of them. Mateo said he was OK, Matheus said he was OK, Erling also said that he was OK," Maresca said.

Asked whether Haaland had a knee injury, Maresca replied: "I don't know, I asked him and he said he was OK so hopefully it is nothing serious."

O'Reilly still has the back problem he picked up in the warm-up against Coventry, Maresca said. Semenyo, who came off the bench and was seen walking gingerly at full-time, is the one still to be checked. "The only one we need to wait a little bit (for) is Antoine, and we will see."

Before the match, Maresca had said Haaland would need time off. "At some point we probably need to give him rest, some days off," he said at his pre-game news conference. Haaland had also picked up a knock playing for Norway in the Nations League earlier this month, and a rest now looks likely for the Champions League game against AEK Athens on Tuesday, 20 October.

Maresca also spoke about Haaland's standing at the club:

"It's fantastic for him. He's not just scoring goals, he's one of the leaders, he's one of the captains. He's doing very well."

City beat Ipswich a few days after a 4-2 home defeat by Paris Saint-Germain in midweek. Maresca became the first manager in Premier League history to win his first seven matches, and City kept their 100 per cent start to the season. A late Ipswich penalty set up an anxious finish.

City are also dealing with off-field trouble. They were found guilty of breaching Premier League financial rules and are appealing, but could face a huge points deduction or even expulsion if they lose. Maresca said of the criticism since the verdict: "We give credit to the players. They are not worried about people who judge from outside."

City host AEK Athens in the Champions League on Tuesday, 20 October, and then travel to Aston Villa next weekend.

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