Manchester City striker Erling Haaland has been speaking about his condition after not playing at the World Cup

Erling Haaland insists he is raring to go for the second half of the season after returning to Premier League action with a record-breaking brace.

Haaland added another two goals to his tally for Manchester City to make it 20 Premier League goals in 14 appearances – needing seven fewer games than anyone else to reach that mark – and make it 26 in all competitions before the New Year. His two second-half strikes at Elland Road helped City to beat Leeds 3-1 and move back to within five points of leaders Arsenal.

However, on top of the striker admitting that he could have scored many more on the night his manager cautioned that the player is not at his best physically. Haaland missed a few matches before the break for the World Cup after suffering painful ligament damage in his foot in a Champions League match against his former club Dortmund, and was unable to train fully with the City players who headed out to Abu Dhabi at the beginning of December.

Guardiola reckons that Haaland is still lacking in pace and sharpness as he works his way up to full fitness, although Haaland gave a more upbeat verdict on his condition.

“I feel good. I had a vacation and recharged my batteries. I’m ready for the second half of the season– I feel good. We win – that’s fantastic and it’s what we have to do. It’s the main focus.”

He added: “The medical staff have been working so good for me to fix my body. I’ve been having some small problems but now I’m getting much better.”

Source: www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk