How long is Erling Haaland out? Groin injury updates after striker misses Liverpool victory

Micah Adams

How long is Erling Haaland out? Groin injury updates after striker misses Liverpool victory image

Erling Haaland has set the football world on fire this season, with the 22-year-old in hot pursuit of the Premier League single-season record.

With 28 goals in 26 EPL matches, Haaland remains on pace to shatter the 38-game record of 32 goals set by Liverpool's Mohamed Salah in 2017-18. He also stands a good chance of breaking the overall record of 34 goals, shared by Andy Cole and Alan Shearer (both did so in 42-game seasons)

His two most recent outings — five goals in a 7-0 Champions League win over RB Leipzig and a hat trick in Man City's 6-0 FA Cup quarterfinal victory over Burnley — brought his club tally across all competitions to an astonishing 42 goals in 37 games.

And yet City resumed their Premier League campaign with a resounding come-from-behind 4-1 win over Liverpool on Saturday, with Haaland looking on from the stands.

The 22-year-old withdrew from both of Norway's Euro 2024 qualifiers against Spain and Georgia, but replacement Julian Alvarez cancelled out Mohamed Salah's opener at the Etihad Stadium before Kevin De Bruyne, Ilkay Gundogan and Jack Grealish chipped in with second-half goals.

Here are the latest updates about Haaland's injury and what it could mean down the stretch for Man City.

MORE: Follow Haaland's pursuit of Premier League scoring records

What is Erling Haaland's injury?

Haaland appeared to sustain a groin injury during Man City's FA Cup win over Burnley. Following that match and during the international break, the Norwegian sought treatment at a hospital in Barcelona as part of a partnership between the facility and club.

Details have been sparse at best with Man City offering no confirmation as to the injury's severity.

Norway's football federation announced that Haaland 'had some pain in his groin after the match against Burnley' before later ruling him out of both matches for Euro 2024 qualifying.

 

"We hoped that this was just a formality that would carry over to Saturday, but after doing tests and examinations yesterday it became clear that he will not make it to the games against Spain and Georgia. It is better that he receives a medical follow-up at his club," said Norway national team doctor Ola Sand.

How long will Erling Haaland be out?

While there has been no update as of yet from Man City, groin strains offer a wide range of recovery times based on the severity. Players can remain sidelined anywhere from four weeks to three months.

Although he played 63 minutes in the win over Burnley and did not appear to be in any obvious discomfort, Haaland's father cast some doubt about his son's fitness ahead of Saturday's tussle with Liverpool.

MORE: Tracking every Haaland goal in every competition

"Firstly, I'm not a doctor and secondly, I think it's 'touch and go', yes," he said when speaking to Norwegian station TV2. "You can't just go two weeks without training and then jump right into a fight. There must be a progression there. They can gamble on it, but if he doesn't get proper training with the team, then he won't play.

"It is about how he responds to treatment in the next few days. He needs a lot of care and 'knuckling'. There are many sprints [in a game] and there is a lot [of him] to move."

Speaking ahead of the Liverpool game, City manager Pep Guardiola told BT Sport: "He’s much, much better, but not for today. He didn’t feel good, no risk."

Man City Premier League schedule 2022-23

City have 10 matches left in the Premier League season starting. Next weekend's trip to Southampton feels like a reasonable target for Haaland given Guardiola's reported improvement in his condition. However, the looming Champions League quarterfinal first leg against Bayern Munich on April 11 means he might not be risked until then.

Man City Remaining Premier League Fixtures
Date Opponent Time (ET)
April 8 at Southampton 12:30 p.m.
April 15 at Leicester City 12:30 p.m.
April 26 Arsenal 3:00 p.m.
April 30 at Fulham 9:00 a.m.
May 3 West Ham United 3:00 p.m.
May 7 Leeds United 9:00 a.m.
May 13 at Everton 10:00 a.m.
May 20 Chelsea 10:00 a.m.
May 28 at Brentford 11:30 a.m.
TBC at Brighton TBC

Updated Premier League standings 2022-23

City trails Arsenal by eight points with 10 games left, which amounts to a match in hand on the Mikel Arteta's side.

City will be eagerly anticipating their showdown against the Gunners at Etihad Stadium on April 26. Though Arsenal remains in prime position to claim the title, their closing stretch also features potentially tricky matches against Liverpool, Newcastle and Chelsea.

Pos Team Points Matches
Played
Goals
Scored
Goal
Difference
Next Match
1. Arsenal 72 29 70 +43 @ LIV, April 9
2. Man City 64 28 71 +45 @ SOU, April 8
3. Man United 50 26 41 +6 @ NEW, April 2
4. Tottenham 49 28 52 +12 @ EVE, April 3

Micah Adams

Micah Adams Photo

Micah Adams is a Managing Editor and Head of Affiliate and Commercial Content at Sporting News. Prior to joining SN in 2021, Adams spent over a decade producing and leading content teams at ESPN, DAZN and The Social Institute. Adams graduated from Duke University in 2009 and remains a Cameron Crazie at heart well into his 30s. When not losing sleep or hair over the Blue Devils, Kansas City Chiefs, Chicago Bulls, and USMNT, Adams enjoys chasing his two small children around along with his wife, losing golf balls, spending time outdoors and binging terrible movies.