Erling Haaland withdrawn with injury scare in Portugal vs Norway Nations League match

Erling Haaland left Norway’s UEFA Nations League game against Portugal in Porto on Sunday night after signalling to manager Stale Solbakken and was substituted in the 67th minute, handing Manchester City a fresh fitness concern. Jorgen Strand Larsen replaced Haaland with the score at 1-1.

Haaland played every minute of Norway’s three Nations League fixtures in this international window. He scored twice in a 3-2 win over Denmark, registered one goal in a 2-1 loss to Portugal in their first match of the break, and was goalless in a 2-1 defeat to Wales before hobbling off against Portugal on Sunday.

Portugal prevailed 2-1 in Porto after Joao Cancelo opened the scoring and Goncalo Ramos added a second following Haaland’s withdrawal. Kristoffer Ajer reduced the deficit for Norway, and Francisco Conceicao was sent off in the final moments as the hosts held on for the victory.

Haaland’s substitution came in the 67th minute when he signalled to Solbakken and was replaced by Jorgen Strand Larsen; Ramos’s goal came after that change and put Portugal ahead. The match finished 2-1 to the hosts.

On club form, Haaland has seven goals in seven appearances for Manchester City across all competitions this season. Manchester City have won all five of their Premier League matches so far this campaign.

Squad concerns for City extend beyond Haaland’s situation. Manager Enzo Maresca will now prepare for a trip to Anfield to face Liverpool on October 11 while already missing Phil Foden — who was sent off for kicking Bruno Fernandes against Manchester City — and monitoring the absence of Nico O’Reilly, who withdrew from the England camp with an injury, and Antoine Semenyo, who did not play for Ghana during the break.

The Premier League return comes amid an independent committee ruling that found Manchester City guilty of 114 out of 115 counts; the club has filed an appeal after being judged to have utilised a "disguised funding scheme" between 2009 and 2018 to conceal covert money totalling more than £830 million.

Manchester City are due to resume league action at Anfield against Liverpool on October 11, with Haaland’s fitness for that fixture to be assessed after his withdrawal in Porto and the club continuing its appeal against the committee’s findings.