Erling Haaland jokes Arsenal star is to blame after being left needing stitches

Erling Haaland ended up hurting himself BEFORE Norway's World Cup qualifier with Moldova on Tuesday after being smashed in the face by the team bus, leaving him with a nasty cut that required stitches.

Haaland, 25, is a key player for the Norway national team and was the matchwinner in their 1-0 win over Finland on Thursday as the Manchester City star started the international break with a bang. But he was then caught out in bizarre fashion when the doors of the team coach left him requiring stitches outside the Norway team's hotel in Oslo.

It's said the striker was waiting on the pavement to collect his luggage when the incident that left him with a bloodied lip occurred, with Haaland being struck right in the mouth when the doors of the coach swung open.

Per The Sun, witnesses of the incident outlined that Haaland turned the air blue, shouting “f**k”, before being tended to by the Norway team doctor, Ola Sand.

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He later shared a selfie which showed off the extent of his injuries, which he revealed required stitching up. “Just got banged out by a bus door. 3 stitches,” he told fans on Snapchat alongside a snap of his face.

Some fans took the chance to make a joke out of his unfortunate injury, with one asking if he had been punched. Haaland replied: “Hahahaha wrong answers only.” Another supporter responded implying that Haaland's international team-mate - and Arsenal captain - Martin Odegaard was responsible, with Haaland quipping: “Correct.”

Fortunately for Manchester City, Haaland's clash with the Norway team coach is unlikely to prevent him for featuring in this weekend's eagerly anticipated Manchester derby when Premier League action resumes. Before that, though, Haaland will hope to come through another game unscathed when Ståle Solbakken's side face Moldova on Tuesday.

Norway are currently top of Group I in World Cup qualifying with four wins from as many games to date. Israel, Italy, Estonia and Moldova are the other teams in the group, with Norway facing Moldova on Tuesday.

Haaland has been in fine form for Manchester City this term, scoring three goals in as many Premier League games this term. He will be looking to maintain that record when Manchester United travel to The Etihad on Sunday in this week's marquee fixture.

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