Norway manager Stel Solbakken has revealed that Manchester City’s Erling Haaland will not be part of his team against the Netherlands.
The national team has qualified for the World Cup and has two friendly matches against Oranje and Switzerland in the current international break.
Norway face the Netherlands at the Johan Cruijff Arena on Friday and the Manchester City star will not be considered.
Solbakken wants to rest the striker and have him back in the team against Switzerland on March 30. The decision has been taken to manage his workload, following an extensive season with Pep Guardiola’s team.
The 25-year-old, who is leading the Premier League team’s attack, has played 3,418 minutes in 43 matches, scoring 30 goals and providing seven assists. He played the full 90 minutes of his team’s 2–0 EFL Cup Final win over Arsenal at Wembley on Sunday.
Haaland missed Manchester City’s win over Leeds United last month. This is the only league match he has not played this season and below are some of his league statistics.
| premier league 2025/26 | |
|---|---|
| will start | 28 |
| minutes | 2418 |
| minutes per game | 83 |
| Target | 22 |
| Help | 7% |
Special treatment for Manchester City players
tv2 Met Solbakken in Norway, who explained the importance of managing a frontman’s workload.
“We have taken into account the total stress Erling has been under over a long period of time and have concluded that the best solution for all parties is for him to now take a much-needed break.” He said.
“Our conclusion is that it is best for Erling to be involved in one of the matches of this gathering, and then we think it would be good if he can show himself in front of the Ulleval crowd against Switzerland.”
Norway return to Oslo on Saturday and that’s when Erling Haaland will join the team. The national team boss admits to giving his star special treatment.
“It’s special behaviour. Certainly because of what Erling has done on and off the field. There’s a lot of pressure on him, and for me it’s by far the most important thing he does at the World Cup in June.” Solbakkan explained.
Beneficial for Guardiola’s team
Solbakken’s decision with Erling Haaland could help the Citizens in their efforts to win two more domestic competitions this season.
Manchester City are second and nine points behind leaders Arsenal with a game in hand. In the FA Cup, Guardiola’s side will face Liverpool in the quarter-finals at the Etihad on 4 April.
The Norway international could take advantage of this week’s rest to recharge himself ahead of Manchester City’s upcoming fixtures at the end of the season.
Last month, Sports Witness broadcast news That Norwegian from Spain is an alternative to Barcelona.
His contract runs until 2034 and that puts the English club in a comfortable position to retain him. transfer market He is worth €200 million.
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📈 Salary inducement is a good angle #mcfc https://t.co/XhWt1Z2Gig– Sports Witness (@Sport_Witness) 5 March 2026
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