Erling Haaland undergoes facial stitching after bus injury – Arsenal star jokingly blamed | OneFootball

Manchester City’s Erling Haaland appears to have seen the funny side of a freak accident involving a bus door while away on international duty with Norway.

The striker, who remains one of Pep Guardiola’s most important players is certainly no stranger to the spotlight, but rarely for incidents quite like this with his new ventures on social media platform Snapchat adding a personal touch to his life and bond with supporters.

Haaland has endured his fair share of physical battles on the pitch since arriving at the Etihad, but his latest setback came far away from competitive action. Instead, the 25-year-old found himself the victim of an unfortunate mishap.

Haaland’s status within the Norwegian national team has made him the focal point for fans during breaks from club football, with his every move closely followed, while the latest episode was no different, as images quickly spread across social media showcasing the injury and the player’s humorous response.

It follows a summer in which Erling Haaland has already grabbed headlines through his early goalscoring antics in the Premier League, and not least due to his fitness management after a gruelling campaign last year.

City, meanwhile, will likely be keeping a close eye on their number nine’s condition, particularly after recent discussions surrounding squad balance and injury management.

In uploads to his Snapchat story this week, Erling Haaland took a series of selfies to highlight his facial injury, with the first accompanied by the caption, “Just got banged out by a bus door, 3 stitches”.

Haaland appeared to be somewhat delighted by his new-look, as he followed up his initial reveal with a further photo captioned, “Looks actually quite good”.

Responding to one follower asking who had ‘punched’ the Manchester City striker, Haaland asked for ‘wrong answers only’ before claiming that a suggestion of Arsenal captain Martin Odegaard was ‘correct’.

The light-hearted exchange has only strengthened the bond between Haaland and his fans, with many quick to share their amusement at the playful jab involving his international teammate and close friend.

It also underlined the striker’s relaxed personality, something that has endeared him to both City supporters and neutrals alike since his Premier League arrival.

Looking ahead, the minor setback is unlikely to impact Erling Haaland’s availability, but the episode will provide Guardiola with a reminder of the fine margins when managing a player whose physical output is so central to his system.

With upcoming fixtures in both domestic and European competition as the UEFA Champions League’s league phase gets underway later this month, Manchester City will be keen to see their talisman firing on all cylinders.