Erling Haaland has always been the kind of footballer who looks more like a machine than a man. At only 25 years old, he has been breaking records, destroying defenders, and scoring goals that ordinary strikers could only dream of. His name has already been carved into the history of the Premier League and European football, and his hunger for goals has never stopped. But even for a player built like a Viking warrior, life has a way of reminding you that you are still human, and sometimes the most unexpected things can bring you down. This time, it wasn’t a defender, it wasn’t an injury caused by a heavy tackle, it wasn’t even something that happened during a match. It was something so unusual that even Manchester City fans could not believe it at first. Erling Haaland, their star striker, their most dangerous weapon, suffered a freak injury during international duty with Norway, and the timing could not be worse as the Manchester derby is only days away.
For Manchester City, this season has not started the way they expected. After dominating English football for years, Pep Guardiola’s men now find themselves in a strange position. City are sitting in 13th place on the table, a spot that looks alien for a club that has built its identity on success and control. They lost back-to-back games against Tottenham and Brighton, two defeats that exposed weaknesses in a team that once looked unbeatable. And yet, even in the middle of these struggles, Haaland has continued to shine. He already has three goals in just three games, standing tall as the Premier League’s top scorer at this early stage. His goals have been the one bright light in City’s shaky start, a sign that no matter what happens around him, Haaland will always deliver.
That is why the news of his injury spread like wildfire across Manchester. For a player who looks indestructible, a player whose legs have powered City to league titles, Champions League nights, and unforgettable wins, this kind of injury felt almost surreal. And the strangest part of it all? It didn’t even happen on the pitch. Haaland was not taken down by a defender or a goalkeeper. He was taken down by something as ordinary as a bus door.
The story came out of Oslo, where the Norway national team had gathered ahead of their World Cup qualifiers. Haaland, always a key figure for his country, had been smiling, training, and even scoring. Norway are on a mission to return to the World Cup for the first time since 1998, and with Haaland in their team, hope is higher than ever. But then came the bizarre moment. According to reports, Haaland collided with the door of Norway’s team bus as it arrived at their hotel. In the process, he suffered a nasty cut to his mouth, one that required three stitches.
The striker himself revealed the incident in a way only Haaland could. Posting on Snapchat, he wrote: “Just got banged out by a bus door. 3 stitches,” alongside a selfie that showed the damage to his face. The picture spread quickly, and fans across the world reacted in shock. How could a man who had bulldozed his way past defenders in the Champions League be taken down by a bus door? It was the kind of incident that shows football can be stranger than fiction.
For Manchester City fans, however, there was no laughter. Their first thought was simple: would this injury keep him out of the Manchester derby? The game against Manchester United is not just another fixture. It is the one match that divides the city, the one game where bragging rights mean as much as three points. City need Haaland for that battle. Without him, their chances of bouncing back from their poor start to the season would drop dramatically.
What makes this even more dramatic is that Haaland has been the symbol of hope not just for City, but also for Norway. Since making his debut in 2019, he has scored 42 goals in 43 appearances for his country, numbers that almost sound like a video game. Every time he puts on the national shirt, Norwegians believe again. They have waited more than two decades to return to the World Cup, and with Haaland leading the line, this feels like their best chance. He even proved it again last Thursday, scoring the only goal in Norway’s friendly win against Finland. He stepped up to the penalty spot, calm as ever, and buried the ball into the net.
But now, with stitches on his mouth and doubts about his availability, both City and Norway are holding their breath. Norway still have an important qualifier against Moldova on Tuesday, a match that could push them even closer to achieving their World Cup dream. City, on the other hand, are counting down the days to the derby, watching closely for updates about their star man.
It is not the first time Haaland has suffered injuries in his career, but usually, his setbacks come from the intensity of football itself. This one feels different, almost ironic. A man who has built his reputation on power and strength was injured not by a defender’s challenge but by something as simple as a moving bus door. The jokes online have already started, with rival fans laughing, but for City, there is nothing funny about it. The Premier League title race is already slipping, and without Haaland, it could collapse completely.
Last season, Haaland scored 34 goals and provided five assists in 48 games for City. Those numbers would be enough for any team to dominate, but it wasn’t enough to stop Liverpool, under Arne Slot, from taking the crown. This year, City want revenge, they want their crown back, and they know that their chances of doing that rest heavily on Haaland’s shoulders. Pep Guardiola has built one of the most complete squads in world football, but even he knows that without Haaland, City lose their edge.
And yet, even as fans worry, there is still hope. The injury, while dramatic, is not said to be long-term. Stitches on the mouth may be painful, but they rarely keep a footballer out for weeks. Still, the timing could not be worse. The Manchester derby is not a match where you want your striker to be even slightly uncomfortable. Every clash, every header, every moment of contact could reopen the cut. Haaland’s warrior mentality might push him to play through it, but will he be at his best?
The story of Haaland’s freak injury is also a reminder of how unpredictable football can be. No matter how much you prepare, no matter how strong you are, sometimes the smallest things can change everything. City’s season, Norway’s qualification hopes, even the balance of power in Manchester, could all be shaped by something as bizarre as a bus door.
For now, fans wait. They wait to see if Haaland will recover in time. They wait to see if he will walk out at Old Trafford with that same intimidating presence, ready to silence Manchester United fans once again. They wait to see if this small cut will be just a minor hiccup in his journey, or if it will become a symbol of City’s unlucky season.
Because in football, stories like this matter. Years from now, people will not just remember Haaland’s goals, they will remember the strange, human moments too. The time he got three stitches from a bus door days before the Manchester derby. The time the indestructible striker was reminded that even he could be stopped, if only for a moment.
And maybe, just maybe, this will be the kind of setback that fuels him even more. Haaland has always thrived on challenges. If defenders cannot stop him, why should a bus door? The world will soon find out, and Manchester United may be the first to feel the answer.
