Manchester City have received the news they wanted before a tough trip to Aston Villa. Erling Haaland is 100% fit and available for Saturday’s Premier League clash, manager Enzo Maresca confirmed, easing concerns after the striker limped off against Ipswich Town last weekend.

The Haaland 100% fit update comes at an important moment for City, who have won their opening seven league matches and sit top of the table. Kickoff at Villa Park is scheduled for 12:30 p.m. BST (7:30 a.m. ET).

How Haaland Picked Up the Injury

The concern over Haaland’s fitness began before Manchester City returned to club action. During Norway’s international break, the striker was substituted in the 67th minute against Portugal after appearing to indicate that he was hurt. The exact nature of that problem was not made clear, but it was an early warning sign for City after a demanding run of games.

Haaland then scored twice in City’s 3-2 win over Ipswich on October 17, only to limp off after a late challenge involving Jack Clarke. The incident appeared to involve contact around his lower leg as he followed through on a shot. With Haaland having already played heavily for club and country, City had reason to be cautious.

He was left on the bench for Tuesday’s 5-1 Champions League win over AEK Athens, although Maresca subsequently confirmed that he was fit to play if needed. The manager has now gone a step further, declaring Haaland “100 per cent available” for the Aston Villa match. There is no confirmation that the Ipswich knock was connected to the earlier issue with Norway, but the sequence explains why City were careful with their leading scorer.

Three More Man City Players Remain Doubts

Haaland is the only City player Maresca described as fully available. Nico O’Reilly, Mateo Kovačić and Matheus Nunes were all being assessed ahead of the trip, with the manager waiting for the latest training session before making a decision.

City will also be without Antoine Semenyo, who is expected to miss around eight weeks after suffering a knee injury against Ipswich. That makes Haaland’s return particularly welcome as City look to maintain their perfect league record against an Aston Villa side managed by Unai Emery.

Maresca has praised Villa’s intensity and recent form, making clear that City cannot take anything for granted. Haaland’s fitness removes one major concern, but the remaining injury doubts could still influence the manager’s selection.

For City, the immediate message is reassuring: Haaland is available, and the foot knock will not keep him out of Saturday’s game.