Manchester City take on Liverpool in a huge Premier League clash on Sunday but have been warned about Erling Haaland's condition ahead of the match

Manchester City striker Erling Haaland has been granted extra time off amid injury fears. The Norwegian powerhouse was forced off during their 2-1 defeat to Portugal on Sunday.

With City set to lock horns with Liverpool in the Premier League this Sunday, Stale Solbakken has confirmed that the 26-year-old has been afforded more time off ahead of their crunch match. The Norway manager described Haaland as 'being spent' after his efforts during the international break.

Haaland was forced off with suspected muscle fatigue, with fears allayed over a serious injury. City will be hoping to have him fit and firing for their visit to Anfield in the first match since the independent commission's verdict that found the club guilty of almost all their charges was revealed.

The Norway boss said: “It’s not just him - there’s a whole bunch leaving now. They’ve been given a few days off by their clubs so they’ve booked a private plane - like you and I can’t afford.

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"Erling was simply thoroughly spent. Some ⁠of my players have only had six or seven days of holiday.

"And you do not live off your physical condition in a normal job. Then it is straight into the start of the season, followed by a mini-tournament, so it is an extreme strain.

“He’s in the group that carries the heaviest workload - precisely because his team plays in every tournament and he’s the main man.”

Haaland has been in red-hot form in the top-flight this season with five goals in as many games. He has been ever-present for Enzo Maresca's side, scoring twice in the 2-0 win over FC Porto in the Champions League.

All eyes will be on Merseyside this weekend with those associated with City expected to be quizzed on the verdict for their alleged financial breaches. An appeal has been lodged but calls are growing for a significant punishment for their purported breaches.

The Premier League had charged them with 115 financial breaches over a nine-season period between 2009-10 and 2017-18, which City steadfastly denied.

But a verdict from the independent commission after a prolonged legal battle found the club guilty on 114 counts.

England boss Thomas Tuchel said of the verdict: “If I say now it’s not then I can just speak for myself, which would be totally narrow-minded,” Tuchel said. “I think it is a distraction. It is. Let’s say it is a subject. If it’s a distraction, I don’t know.

“It is of course a topic and we speak about it at dinner and at a table of eight or 12 people. We speak about it at breakfast. I know the Man City players get a lot of messages and phone calls and feedback about it.”