Erling Haaland needs stitches after being struck by Norway team bus door
Manchester City striker suffered a bleeding lip while arriving at Norway’s team hotel and posted a selfie joking about the injury
Erling Haaland required three stitches after being struck in the face by a team bus door while with Norway’s national squad, the forward revealed on social media Sunday.
The Manchester City striker said the injury occurred as he arrived at Norway’s team hotel in Oslo and stood near the bus’s luggage compartment when a trunk door unexpectedly flew open and hit his mouth, leaving him with a bleeding lip. Haaland posted a selfie showing the injury and wrote: "Just got banged out by a bus door. 3 stitches."
Haaland used lighthearted replies to fans on Snapchat as he shared the picture. When a supporter jokingly suggested he had been punched, Haaland wrote "Hahahaha wrong answers only," and responded "Correct" after another fan suggested team captain Martin Ødegaard was responsible. Haaland did not indicate the injury would affect his availability for upcoming matches.
The incident comes as Norway prepare for a World Cup qualifying match at home to Moldova on Tuesday. Norway currently sit atop Group I with four wins from four matches. Haaland scored the solitary goal from the penalty spot as Norway beat Finland 1-0 in their most recent qualifier and has been prolific for his country, with 42 goals in 43 appearances that make him Norway’s all-time leading scorer.
Also in the Norway squad are City teammate Oscar Bobb, Fulham midfielder Sander Berge, Brentford defender Kristoffer Ajer and Wolverhampton’s David Møller Wolfe. Ødegaard, who captains the side, has the most caps among the current squad with 66.
Haaland’s brief, jocular update followed routine medical attention. Team officials have not released additional details about his condition or treatment timeline, and Manchester City did not immediately comment.
Norway last qualified for a major tournament at Euro 2000. The current qualifying campaign represents a bid to return to a World Cup or European Championship finals for the first time in a quarter-century, with Haaland central to those hopes given his scoring record.
The 25-year-old’s dressing-room availability and match fitness will be monitored by Norway’s medical staff ahead of the Moldova fixture; any formal updates on his status are expected from the national team as they finalize preparations for the qualifier.