Erling Haaland OUT of protective boot as he relaxes in Spain with girlfriend and new baby

Erling Haaland appears in good spirits as the Manchester City continues to recovery from an ankle injury suffered against Bournemouth that ruled him out for a number of weeks

Manchester City star Erling Haaland has been pictured free from his protective boot but still using a crutch as he attempts to recover from his ankle injury. The Norwegian superstar was spotted with girlfriend Isabell Haugseng and their young son, born late last year, in the sunshine of Marbella.

Haaland has been ruled out for a number of weeks after picking up the issue during his side’s FA Cup quarter-final victory over Bournemouth. City have since prevailed over Leicester City thanks to goals from Jack Grealish and Omar Marmoush in the striker’s absence, but their remains hope he could return for the end of 2024/25 and the Club World Cup.

The 24-year-old appears to be taking the time to relax with his young family, and was spotted enjoying brunch in the Spanish city. City’s top goalscorer was just making use of one crutch in his right hand as he manoeuvred and there was no sign of additional support being required for his ankle.

The ex-Borussia Dortmund ace appeared comfortable and was dressed casually in a Nike shirt and socks, a pair of shorts and a Supreme baseball cap.

READ MORE: Kyle Walker leaves door open for Man City return as he reveals Pep Guardiola messageREAD MORE: Jack Grealish fights back tears in interview as Man City star dedicates goal to late brother

Haaland’s manager, Pep Guardiola lamented his striker’s expected recovery timeline ahead of the win over Leicester. The Catalan coach explained his side would have to adapt as they do not possess a like-for-like replacement.

Guardiola said: “Sometimes these kind of things happen. With all the injuries we’ve had this season, we’re so sorry for them and for Erling as well.

“The doctors told me it will be between five and seven weeks. We don’t have another player with his specific skills or qualities, we know that, so we have to adapt.”

Haaland has already declared “I’ll be back.” on social media, as he quickly took to Instagram at the start of his recovery. The post featured an image of him holding his crutches up in the air and his three-word message was accompanied by a flex emoji.

City’s sharpshooter has already scored 30 goals in 40 appearances this season, including 21 in the Premier League. Haaland only trails Mo Salah in the division’s rankings.

Amid a possible seven weeks out for Haaland, City’s final Premier League game is at Fulham on May 25 and their first match in the Club World Cup takes place on June 18.

The forward had attempted to play on against Bournemouth after his left foot was caught underneath the body of Lewis Cook. But he looked far from comfortable and limped from the field just minutes later.

Following the clash, City said: “Assessment remains ongoing to ascertain a full prognosis. The expectation is that Erling will be fit in time to play a further part in the remainder of this season, including this summer’s FIFA Club World Cup. Everyone at the Club wishes Erling a speedy recovery.”

Join our new WhatsApp community and receive your daily dose of Mirror Football content. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don’t like our community, you can check out any time you like. If you’re curious, you can read our Privacy Notice.