Erling Haaland Norway injury fears grow after Portugal clash

Erling Haaland left the Norway side early on Sunday, prompting immediate worries about his fitness ahead of Manchester City’s upcoming fixtures. The Manchester City striker signalled his desire to be taken off during the Nations League loss to Portugal, and both teammates and manager Stale Solbakken have spoken out.

At the 67‑minute mark Haaland indicated to the bench that he wanted to be substituted. Crystal Palace forward Jorgen Strand Larsen came on in his place, marking the first change for Norway in the match.

The substitution came with the score level. Earlier, Kristoffer Ajer had given the away side the lead, only for Joao Cancelo to equalise for the hosts in Porto.

Following the change, Goncalo Ramos struck the winner for Portugal on 79 minutes, sealing a victory that completed a clean sweep of four matches during the international break.

Manager and squad reactions

Norway boss Stale Solbakken downplayed the injury alarm, reminding that Haaland was only ever slated to play around an hour. He told TV2, “We were hoping for 60, and he managed 65. That’s a lot of positives.”

The international calendar has been demanding, with four games in eleven days. Haaland logged ninety minutes in each of the first three fixtures, while fellow Norway regulars Martin Odegaard and Sander Berge also completed the full ninety minutes in all four matches.

Genoa defender Leo Ostigard described Haaland as “only human” and stressed the need for a break after such a heavy workload. He added, “It’s clear you want him on the field as long as possible, but he plays an incredible number of games.”

Bodo/Glimt midfielder Patrick Berg noted that it was no surprise Haaland’s “strength finally ran out” given the intensity of the schedule. He said, “He is the world’s best goal‑scorer, but if his energy stops, so does ours.”

Club implications

Manchester City will monitor Haaland’s condition closely before the Premier League clash at Anfield on Sunday, where the striker hopes to be fit for the Liverpool encounter. The club also faces a crucial Europa League tie against Paris Saint‑Germain later in the week.

Norway’s recent form has been mixed, beating Denmark 3‑2 but suffering defeats to Wales and Portugal twice. Solbakken acknowledged the three consecutive losses, stating, “Three losses in a row are not good enough, but the Portugal games are good.”