Norway head coach Stale Solbakken confirmed that the congested match schedule is the reason his star player Erling Haaland feels physically exhausted, following a continuous run of games with his club Manchester City and his national team.
Recent media reports revealed concerns about the possibility of an injury to Haaland, who was substituted after 67 minutes in Norway's 2-1 away defeat against Portugal in the UEFA Nations League on Sunday evening.
Haaland was among several prominent players who left the stadium immediately after the match on private jets to take advantage of a short break before returning to their club commitments.
Describing Haaland's condition to journalists after the game, Solbakken said: "He was simply completely exhausted."
He added: "Some of my players only had six or seven days off. In normal jobs, you don't rely on your physical fitness, but then the season starts immediately followed by a mini-tournament, so it represents enormous pressure."
He concluded: "Erling falls into the group bearing the heaviest workload, specifically because his team (Manchester City) participates in every competition and he is the pivotal player in them."
The British newspaper "The Sun" reported that Manchester City's coaching staff are monitoring Haaland's status and his potential injury situation ahead of the match against Liverpool, which will be held at Anfield in the Premier League next Sunday.
It is worth noting that Haaland has faced a grueling schedule in recent months, as Norway's campaign in the 2026 World Cup significantly reduced the rest period between seasons. Since then, he has played in all of Manchester City's Premier League matches, scoring five goals.
Haaland himself highlighted this busy schedule on social media after scoring two goals in last month's 3-2 win over Denmark in the UEFA Nations League, writing: "I feel very tired. New match in 70 hours."
Today's match schedule
