Haaland substituted in Norway loss; fitness questioned before Liverpool clash

Erling Haaland was substituted in the 67th minute of Norway's 2-1 UEFA Nations League defeat to Portugal on Sunday in Porto, raising fitness concerns ahead of Manchester City's Premier League match against Liverpool. The striker gestured to the bench that he needed to come off and was replaced by Jorgen Strand Larsen; he was observed limping on the field before his exit.

Norway coach Ståle Solbakker said after the match that he had held a "heart-to-heart conversation" with Haaland about the striker's heavy workload. Solbakken did not confirm a specific injury but cited concerns about fatigue after Haaland played the full match in Norway's first three Nations League fixtures — victories over Denmark and losses to Portugal and Wales. "He plays pretty much everything on the club team," Solbakken said, noting that Haaland had managed "60 good minutes" in Porto.

Haaland failed to score in Norway's last two matches, though he remains on a record 65 goals in 59 appearances for his country. Manchester City are awaiting assessment of his condition before their fixture against Liverpool, which takes place with City top of the Premier League table on 15 points from five matches.

The substitution comes during a turbulent period for City. The club was found guilty of 114 financial regulation breaches by an independent Premier League commission and faces more than 100 charges. City has denied wrongdoing and lodged an appeal. Haaland is City's sole senior out-and-out striker, making his potential unavailability a significant concern for manager Enzo Maresca.