Haaland fatigue warning looms large as City head to Anfield without a reliable backup

Erling Haaland will lead Manchester City’s attack at Anfield on Sunday, confirmed fit after injury concerns stemming from his early substitution in Norway’s Nations League defeat to Portugal — but a stark warning from his international manager has cast a shadow over his workload this season.

Norway head coach Stale Solbakken said this week that Haaland was showing clear signs of fatigue, describing the striker as “simply thoroughly spent” after a summer that included the World Cup, minimal rest, and an immediate return to club football. “He’s in the group that carries the heaviest workload — precisely because his team plays in every tournament and he’s the main man,” Solbakken added.

The numbers back that concern. According to Opta, Haaland has made 133 appearances for club and country since the start of the 2024-25 campaign — the fourth highest total among Premier League outfield players, behind Morgan Rogers (141), Declan Rice and Virgil van Dijk (136). He has played every minute of every Premier League game this season, contributing five goals in five appearances, plus two more in his sole Champions League outing.

What makes the situation more precarious for City is the absence of a natural alternative. The January departure of Omar Marmoush to Tottenham removed the most obvious like-for-like cover through the middle. Julian Alvarez had served a similar purpose before his own exit. This season, Enzo Maresca has identified Antoine Semenyo as a potential central option, but the Ghanaian winger is not a natural number nine, and deploying him there in a high-stakes fixture would represent a significant tactical compromise.

Haaland’s importance to this City side has arguably never been higher since his arrival four years ago. With the club competing across multiple competitions — including a Champions League tie against PSG in midweek following the Liverpool fixture — the cumulative strain on the 26-year-old will only intensify as the season progresses.

Maresca received reassuring news on Haaland’s fitness at his Friday press conference, and the striker returned from a short break in Marbella in good shape. But Solbakken’s warning is a reminder that fitness and fatigue are not always the same thing, and City’s ability to challenge on all fronts may ultimately depend on how carefully they manage their most indispensable player.