Why Erling Haaland blamed Martin Odegaard after freak injury and X-rated blast

Erling Haaland jokingly blamed Martin Odegaard after injuring himself before Norway's World Cup qualifier with Moldova on Tuesday. The Manchester City star was struck in the face by the team bus, leaving him with a nasty gash that needed stitches.

Haaland, 25, is a crucial figure for the Norway national team and was the match-winner in their 1-0 victory over Finland on Thursday as the Manchester City forward kicked off the international break in style.

However, he was then caught off guard in bizarre circumstances when the doors of the team coach left him requiring stitches outside the Norway squad's hotel in Oslo.

It's reported the striker was standing on the pavement to collect his luggage when the incident that left him with a bloodied lip took place, with Haaland being hit directly in the mouth when the doors of the coach swung open.

According to reports, witnesses of the incident revealed that Haaland turned the air blue, yelling "f**k", before being treated by the Norway team doctor, Ola Sand.

He subsequently posted a selfie which displayed the severity of his injuries, which he confirmed required stitching up. "Just got banged out by a bus door. 3 stitches," he informed fans on Snapchat alongside a photograph of his face.

Some supporters seized the opportunity to make light of his unfortunate injury, with one asking if he had been punched. Haaland responded: "Hahahaha wrong answers only."

Another fan replied suggesting that Haaland's international teammate - and Arsenal captain - Odegaard was to blame, with Haaland joking: "Correct."

Currently, Norway are leading Group I in World Cup qualifying, boasting four victories from their four matches so far. The group also includes Israel, Italy, Estonia and Moldova, with Norway set to play against Moldova on Tuesday.

One Odegaard returns to Arsenal, he'll turn his attention to a crunch clash with Nottingham Forest in the Premier League. The Gunners host their rivals in Saturday's lunchtime kick-off, and will be looking to bounce back from their defeat by Liverpool last time out.

And Odegaard's team-mate Mikel Merino is confident Arsenal can do “big things” despite the setback at reigning champions Liverpool. Asked if he thinks Liverpool and Arsenal are going to be the two teams tussling for the title this season, Gunners midfielder Merino said: “I think two of them, for sure. Two big squads, two prime mentality teams that always want to attack, always want to win games, and are going to be winning lots of games during the season.

“But we have many other teams that have the same qualities, also good squads around the league. It’s going to be a tough one, it’s going to be a long one and we know it’s not going to be decided in the first five games, so be patient, take the positives from today and carry on.”

He added: “I think we are a different squad (to last season), but I think the mentality in the team is that we can do big things. “Obviously, we want to take that next step and I think we are ready.

“Games like today, obviously, are hard to digest because you lost, even though the feeling was that we deserved better. But, yeah, overall, very excited for this squad, the amount of quality that we have, the amount of depth that we have now is going to be crucial for the future.

“Obviously, now it’s time to think about the national team, but very excited for coming back and still create those relationships with the new guys. Everyone needs time to adapt and in the future I think we’re going to be ready.”

Story Saved

You can find this story in  My Bookmarks.Or by navigating to the user icon in the top right.