Haaland asks to come off against Portugal and raises alarm for Man City before Liverpool trip

Norway fell 2-1 to Portugal in Porto on a night that also produced a worrying sight for Manchester City. Erling Haaland asked to be substituted in the 67th minute and left the pitch limping, raising fitness concerns for his club just before Sunday's trip to Anfield to face Liverpool.

• Haaland was replaced in the 67th minute of Norway's defeat to Portugal after asking to come off.
• Ståle Solbakken revealed he held a heart-to-heart conversation with the striker about his heavy workload.
• The forward has been dealing with fatigue after playing full matches throughout the start of the campaign.
• Manchester City, monitoring his condition closely, visit Liverpool on Sunday in the Premier League.

What happened to Erling Haaland in Portugal vs Norway

Haaland was seen limping on the pitch at the Estádio do Dragão before gesturing to the bench that he needed to come off. He was withdrawn with just over twenty minutes remaining as Norway lost a second consecutive match during this international break.

Solbakken's heart-to-heart talk with Haaland over his workload

Speaking after the game, Solbakken stopped short of confirming a specific injury and instead pointed to the demanding schedule his striker has faced. The Norway coach admitted he had spoken openly with Haaland before kick-off to assess his physical condition.

He was tired against Wales. That's why we had a heart-to-heart conversation yesterday. We went through the possible options. 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.

Solbakken underlined that the forward plays almost every match for his club and arrived at this window carrying a heavy load. Norway had lost to Wales and beaten Denmark earlier in the break, and Haaland failed to score in his last two appearances.

Haaland's record-breaking scoring run with Norway

Despite drawing a blank against Wales and Portugal, Haaland's international numbers remain remarkable. He has scored 65 goals in 59 caps, a record mark for Norway. Earlier in this window he had found the net in back-to-back matches before coming up empty in the following two.

Why his fitness worries Manchester City before facing Liverpool

Haaland is the only senior out-and-out striker in Manchester City's squad, which makes any physical issue a significant problem for the coaching staff. The team resumes domestic action with a demanding away test at Anfield, where Liverpool await as direct rivals near the top of the table.

His workload increased after a summer World Cup campaign in which Norway reached the quarter-finals. He then started the club season with little rest and joined his national team already carrying minutes in his legs. Solbakken acknowledged that a starting role against Portugal was not entirely guaranteed because of the fatigue.

Manchester City, between the appeal and the return to Premier League action

Haaland's situation comes at a moment of intense institutional pressure for City. The club lodged an appeal last week after an independent commission found it guilty of breaching Premier League financial rules.

The commission ruled that the club used sham contracts to bypass regulations between the 2009-10 and 2017-18 seasons. City were found guilty of every rule breach and of all but one charge of failing to cooperate with the Premier League's inquiry. The club maintains it has strong evidence to support its case in the appeal.

Frequently asked questions about Erling Haaland's injury