Why did Erling Haaland miss Manchester City vs Inter Milan pre-season friendly?
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Enzo Maresca’s Manchester City took on Cristian Chivu’s Inter Milan.
For the first time in many years, Erling Haaland’s Manchester City kick their pre-season off without Pep Guardiola. Time for Enzo Maresca to take centre stage. The new head coach begins his journey against Serie A winners Inter Milan.
The UEFA Champions League 2023 finalists meet again. This time at the Kai Tak Sports Park in Hong Kong.
Their last meeting in the UCL was in 2024, after the 2023 season finale. That 2024 match ended 0-0.
Man City are coming from a season (2025-26) where they lost out to Arsenal for the Premier League title. Now they will look to get back their crown without Guardiola at the helm.
To prepare for the new season, City start with a pre-season match against Inter Milan. Maresca chose his starting XI with Gianluigi Donnarumma in between the posts.
Rico Lewis, Joško Gvardiol, and Phil Foden are some of the names included to kick-start Maresca’s reign. But one notable absentee was Erling Haaland.
Also read: Why did Yan Diomande miss RB Leipzig vs SC Verl pre-season friendly?
Why did Erling Haaland miss Manchester City vs Inter Milan pre-season friendly?
The star forward was not even named in the squad, let alone the starting lineup. Haaland was active in the FIFA World Cup 2026 with the Norway national football team. Thanks to his seven goals, Norway managed to punch above their weight in the summer tournament.
They pushed as far as the quarter-finals. Even at that round, they only narrowly lost to England. After the 2-1 defeat to the Three Lions, Haaland has yet to come back to his club.
Additionally, he, along with Rodri, is taking an extended break. It will only help them recuperate both mentally and physically in time for the competitive season. Moreover, it is also in line with City’s reported work load management plan.
Expect Erling Haaland to come back in a few weeks. His absence will also allow other young players to put their name in contention for the new season. Hopefully they can impress new boss Enzo Maresca.
Why did Erling Haaland miss Manchester City vs Inter Milan pre-season friendly?
He is on an extended break after his FIFA World Cup 2026 participation.
Why did Rodri miss Manchester City vs Inter Milan pre-season friendly?
Same as Haaland, Rodri is also enjoying his time away from football drills and practice.
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Govind once believed table tennis was his favorite sport—until he discovered the magic of football and Cristiano Ronaldo. Though once told he wasn’t cut out for writing, he now edits the work of others as Sub Editor of Football at Khel Now. Not a caffeine addict, Govind runs on pure adrenaline—whether he’s playing or watching sports.