Norway coach issues Erling Haaland injury update after striker limps off during Portugal defeat

Norway coach Ståle Solbakken has revealed he held a “heart-to-heart conversation” with Erling Haaland over the Manchester City forward’s heavy workload prior to their Nations League defeat against Portugal in which the striker asked to be taken off.

Haaland signalled to Norway’s bench that he needed replacing and was brought off in the 67th minute of Sunday’s 2-1 loss in Porto.

The forward was seen limping on the pitch before his withdrawal, creating fitness worries ahead of his return to City — a club currently facing intense public scrutiny as the subject of a major Premier League financial scandal.

Speaking following the match, Solbakken stopped short of stating Haaland had sustained an injury, instead highlighting the demanding schedule he has faced after playing full matches in Norway’s opening three Nations League fixtures — a win against Denmark alongside losses to Portugal and Wales.

This comes after a busy start to the domestic campaign in England with City, following Norway’s run to the World Cup quarter-finals over the summer.

“He (Haaland) was tired against Wales. That’s why we had a heart-to-heart conversation yesterday. We went through the possible options,” Solbakken said in quotes carried in the Norwegian media.

“He might have played the last 45 minutes against Portugal. That was a discussion. But he has very bad vibes and feelings about it. … I am very pleased that he managed to pull out 60 good minutes.”

Haaland didn’t score on Sunday or against Wales on Thursday — the two games Norway has played since the verdict by an independent commission on City’s financial case was published.

He had scored in the first two games in this international break and is on a record 65 goals in 59 appearances for his country.

Haaland is the only senior, out-and-out striker in City’s squad, whose first match back after the internationals is at Liverpool on Sunday.

“He plays pretty much everything on the club team,” Solbakken said.

Manchester City confirmed last week that they have lodged an appeal after being found guilty of breaching Premier League regulations.

On Tuesday, an independent commission stated the club used “sham contracts” to bypass financial rules between the 2009-10 and 2017-18 seasons.

The panel found Manchester City guilty of every rule breach, alongside all but one charge of failing to cooperate with the Premier League’s inquiry.

However, the club submitted their appeal on Thursday night, insisting they possess an “irrefutable body of evidence” to contest the ruling.