Erling Haaland
Erling Haaland is fit to face Liverpool in Manchester City’s Community Shield clash on Saturday. Haaland missed City’s first pre-season game in Houston as the club managed his fitness, before making his debut in a storm-interrupted first half vs Bayern Munich in Green Bay, scoring just 12 minutes in as he slid in to convert Jack Grealish’s centre. Explaining how Haaland has settled in ahead of his domestic debut,
Pep Guardiola said: “He’s ready to play tomorrow, and the first impression as a guy is really good, a funny guy. He’s settled really well with the team. That is important. Apparently people think it’s not one of the most important things but it is… the good vibes in the locker room is more important than any advice or any other thing you can say. We try to settle good with the family, house, try to get to know each other in training, we can see what we want to do, what we did in previous seasons. The rest the quality will do the rest.”
Offering an update on those ‘niggles’,
Pep Guardiola said: “He feels good. When I spoke with him over the last days, he feels a little bit [of niggles] but he can train and move. At the end of August he will be better than now. Now we have one game a week, with more training. After that we start the crazy schedule – three days, four days. I think for Liverpool and ourselves I think we arrive at this competition a little early but the opportunity to play the Community Shield is always too early. We have to adapt. I don’t see off the pitch, I don’t take a beer with them. Off the pitch is apparently really good. When I see in the canteen and corridors it’s really good. We’ve been incredibly fortunate to have the guys that we had in previous seasons, otherwise you don’t win titles that’s for sure. The new guys are embraced really well from the guys here from day one, that’s why it’s so easy. Fernandinho left an incredible legacy, how you have to behave in the locker room. Everyone followed his footsteps. Enzo [Maresca] arrived here and replaces Juanma [Lillo] and after two days he is part of all of us giving opinions.”
