The Manchester City striker Erling Haaland, who has been sidelined since 2024 due to a recurrent foot problem, has made use of the brief Premier League break to begin training and get well. The 22-year-old Norwegian is improving in his recuperation despite not having played a game yet this season. He was recently spotted working out with the first team while visiting Manchester City’s winter training camp in Abu Dhabi, which was held in mild conditions.

Haaland’s time at training camp was even more exciting when he saw former UFC lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov with him. The Norwegian expressed his happiness at meeting Khabib in Abu Dhabi and called him a “legend” in a social media post with a picture of the interaction. Khabib has remained active in the sports world, especially in football, demonstrating his ardent passion. He retired from mixed martial arts in 2020 with an unblemished 29-0 record.

Given his stellar play this season, Haaland’s return to training is a good development for Manchester City. With 14 goals in the Premier League, the youthful striker is tied with Mohamed Salah for most goals scored. Haaland is still crucial to City’s success even though he isn’t playing.

Haaland’s comeback to competitive play is not yet scheduled, but manager Pep Guardiola is anticipated to deliver an update on Thursday, right before Manchester City’s FA Cup matchup with Tottenham Hotspur. Fans of City are even more enthused about Haaland’s possible return, and his encounters with sports icons such as Khabib Nurmagomedov underscore the variety of relationships that top sportsmen have when in training camps. The FA Cup is one of the competitions that Manchester City is navigating, and the possibility of Haaland’s comeback might have a big influence on their quest for hardware.