Erling Haaland triggered alarm bells for both Norway and Manchester City after demanding a mid-match exit during Sunday’s 2-1 Nations League defeat against Portugal in Porto.
The 26-year-old Norwegian talisman gestured toward the bench and limped off the pitch in the 67th minute, He was replaced by Crystal Palace forward Jorgen Strand Larsen with the scoreline locked at 1-1.
Brentford defender Kristoffer Ajer had previously handed Norway a surprise first-half lead at the Estadio do Dragao, before former City full-back Joao Cancelo restored parity before the interval.
Just eleven minutes after Haaland’s withdrawal, Goncalo Ramos struck to seal Portugal's comeback victory, securing top spot in Group A4 and earning Jorge Jesus side a place in the March quarter-finals.
Portugal saw out the win despite Francisco Conceicao receiving a late red card for mockingly applauding the referee following an initial yellow card.
Haaland’s premature exit adds anxiety for Manchester City manager Enzo Maresca ahead of a monumental week.
The Etihad club prepares for its first match since receiving a landmark guilty verdict from an independent commission regarding more than 100 breaches of Premier League financial regulations between 2009 and 2018. City maintain their complete innocence and have already launched a formal appeal, but they now face an intense return to domestic action against rivals Liverpool at Anfield on Sunday, quickly followed by a Champions League clash against Paris Saint-Germain.
Norway manager Stale Solbakken moved swiftly after the full-time whistle to downplay fears of a structural muscle tear or long-term injury setback, insisting that the substitution represented a pre-planned management strategy rather than an acute medical emergency.
"Well, it wasn’t just with him; I spoke with about five or six players who have played a lot of minutes," Solbakken explained to reporters following the match. "It’s important that they feel I’m listening to them, and we agreed that he would keep going until he felt he couldn’t contribute anymore. We were talking about the 60-minute mark or thereabouts."
Solbakken revealed that the Norwegian coaching staff had structured the matchday plan specifically around Haaland’s reduced threshold, ensuring his replacement remained primed for action long before the board went up.
"Jorgen [Strand Larsen] knew this, so he was warming up – or rather, warming up extremely aggressively, so to speak – to avoid that stiff, cold feeling you get if you’re suddenly thrown into the game," Solbakken added.
"I think [Haaland] ended up playing 65 minutes or something like that. But of course, I thought he played a very, very good match in the build-up phase. He terrorised their centre-backs, which allowed us to sustain longer spells of possession in the first half because both centre-backs were occupied."
Expanding on the conversation in a separate interview with Norwegian outlet Dagbladet, Solbakken admitted that fatigue from an truncated summer break following an intense World Cup campaign had severely drained the forward's energy reserves across the international window.
"Today he played 60 good minutes. He played twice 90 minutes against Denmark and Portugal [first match]," Solbakken said. "He was tired against Wales. That's why we had a heart-to-heart talk yesterday. There we went through what could be the possibilities. He could have played the last 45 minutes against Portugal. There was a discussion. But he has very bad vibes and feelings about it. He has experienced being put in the league cup. It hasn't been all over the world. I'm very happy that he managed to dig out 60 good minutes."
Following the match, observers spotted Haaland alongside teammates Martin Odegaard, Sander Berge, and Kristoffer Ajer departing the stadium within thirty minutes of the final whistle to board a private flight, prompting further questions regarding his immediate recovery timeline.
"It wasn't just Haaland who left early," Solbakken clarified regarding their departure. "There's a whole bunch of people leaving now. They need a breather. They have been given a few days off from their club. But when they have the opportunity to book a private plane, I understand that they do it when they have two or three days off. You have to remember that the teams that went far in the World Cup have many players who have had minimal vacation. Then it's right to the start of the series and then a mini-tournament. It's an extreme strain."
Inside the Norwegian camp, teammates expressed total sympathy with Haaland’s physical workload, backing his decision to protect his body amid an unrelenting fixture schedule for both club and country.
Manchester City’s medical staff will now conduct a thorough assessment of Haaland’s physical condition at the City Football Academy ahead of Sunday’s clash on Merseyside. The Norwegian striker currently leads the Premier League scoring charts with five goals in five appearances, acting as the sharp point of Maresca’s attack as City sit atop the table.
Furthermore, Maresca faces additional selection headaches ahead of the trip to Merseyside.
Nico O’Reilly withdrew from England duty with an issue while Antoine Semenyo also pulled out of international duty with a knock. Meanwhile, Phil Foden remains unavailable as he continues to serve a domestic suspension following his red card for violent conduct against Manchester United.
Liverpool bring their own significant injury concerns into Sunday’s high-stakes contest. Andoni Iraola side sustained heavy blows during the international break, with Alexander Isak and Cody Gakpo both picking up injuries while representing Sweden and the Netherlands respectively.
Consequently, both attackers join an already lengthy treatment list that includes Hugo Ekitike, Conor Bradley, Giovanni Leoni, and Federico Chiesa.
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