PORTO, Portugal (AP) — Norway coach Ståle Solbakken revealed he had a “heart-to-heart conversation” with Erling Haaland regarding concerns about the striker's heavy workload ahead of a Nations League loss to Portugal in which the Manchester City star asked to be substituted.
Haaland gestured to Norway's bench that he needed to come off and was replaced in the 67th minute of the 2-1 defeat in Porto on Sunday. He was seen limping on the field ahead of the substitution,
raising concerns about his fitness before his return to City — a club under heavy scrutiny for being the subject of a huge financial scandal in the Premier League.
Speaking after the Portugal game, Solbakken didn't say Haaland had sustained an injury but talked about the heavy workload the striker had been facing after playing the full game in Norway's first three Nations League fixtures — a win over Denmark and losses to Portugal and Wales. That came after a busy start to the English season with City, after reaching the World Cup quarterfinals with Norway 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.
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