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11 months ago
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Erling Haaland has turned to the 'Miracle Man' in a bid to speed up his return from injury and help Manchester City win the Club World Cup.
The record-breaking goalscorer has been in Spain this week with John Haddad, his personal trainer and a Lebanon-based biomechanics expert.
And although Haaland is almost certainly out of City's home clash with Crystal Palace today (SAT) due to his foot problem, manager Pep Guardiola is hopeful of having him available for at least one of his team's Club World Cup Games on Tuesday or Friday.
Haddad, a former jeweller who was raised in LA, has been dubbed 'The Miracle Man' by Norwegian media for his work with Haaland which dates back to 2020 when he helped him make a speedy recovery from a hip problem.
He also calls himself 'The Fix' for his track record of helping athletes recover from troublesome biomechanical issues.
Man City star Erling Haaland has been working with biomechanics expert John Haddad (left)
The currently injured Manchester City striker has been working with Haddad for several years
WHO IS ERLING'S FITNESS GURU JOHN HADDAD?
He could pass for a Santa Claus impersonator and Pep Guardiola will be hoping for the gift of his star striker being back fit for Christmas thanks to John Haddad.
The Lebanese’s Instagram page lists him as a biomechanics and movement therapist, regularly posting pictures and videos of him working with Erling Haaland to improve his agility.
His company, Level8, focuses on ‘the beauty of movement’ and the importance of momentum, as well as claiming to debunk ‘standard’ anatomy and muscle functions.
In 2021, he posted a picture of a signed Borussia Dortmund shirt from Haaland, whom he calls ‘my favourite athlete in the whole world, a person that has become a part of my every day life and has grown dearly to be a part of me’.
'The brain controls the body and almost everything becomes easy once you understand how to programme it,' Haddad told the Norwegian media.
This week, the pair were joined in Spain by City physio Mario Pafundi, who also travels with Haaland when he is on international duty.
Haddad has a reputation for off-the-wall methods and his social media posts feature a lot of training in kickboxing and with punch bags.
He also owns a company that produces specialist eyewear that block out certain types of light and which the striker has used to help improve his sleep.
Haaland returned to Manchester on Thursday evening and will fly to Saudi with the rest of the City squad after the Palace game. He has not yet been ruled out of Tuesday's semi-final, against either Leon of Mexico or Japan's Urawa Red Diamonds.
'He arrived today and we will see. The doctors will see him and how he feels,' said Guardiola.
'He has been in treatment away. Hopefully, he can travel to Saudi, we go there tomorrow after the game.
'He is going to travel with us and, after, we will see if he is able to play in the first game or the second game, or when we come back.
'I don't think he will play [against Palace] but maybe he surprises me and they tell me something new.'
Despite Haaland's current problems, Guardiola has no concerns about long-term damage to his star asset. 'No. It's not fractured, just stress,' he said.
Norwegian media nicknamed Haddad 'The Miracle Man' for helping Haaland in his recovery
Pep Guardiola said he hopes Haaland will recover in time for the Club World Cup next week
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'Sometimes players recover quicker, sometimes longer. The doctors said, we have to take it day by day, week by week, how he feels.
'The moment he doesn't have symptoms or doesn't feel pain, he will play again.'
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