Norway's head coach Stale Solbakken said Erling Haaland asked to be substituted against Scotland because he had 'run out of steam'.
Manchester City's talisman had spent the first part of this week celebrating the Blues' historic Treble following the victory over Inter Milan in Istanbul. However, he rejoined his international teammates ahead of their Euro 2024 qualifier against Scotland.
While England manager Gareth Southgate opted to only play Phil Foden off the bench on Friday night, Solbakken chose to start Haaland for the crucial match. After a slow first 45, Haaland scored from the penalty spot just after the hour mark to give the hosts the lead.
With his side still in front, Solbakken replaced the 22-year-old with Mats Daehli in the 84th minute. However, the Norwegians were unable to see out their advantage.
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Late goals from Lyndon Dykes and Kenny McLean secured an important victory for the Scots. They now sit top of Group A with nine points.
As for Norway, they have yet to win in qualifying and this has led to tricky questions for Solbakken. In his post-match press conference, the manager was asked why he subbed Haaland and claimed it was the striker's decision.
He told reporters: "He asked to be changed. We kept him on the pitch 10-12 minutes longer. In the last few minutes he was on the field, we played with one less man. He was completely empty.
"He has only played 60 minutes several times before. We're talking about it being 30 degrees. He ran out of steam."
Haaland will be called upon again on Tuesday night when Norway host Cyprus in what is already billed as a must win game for the Scandinavians.
The Treble of Premier League, FA Cup and UEFA Champions League is the ultimate footballing achievement and you can get your hands on the only official souvenir publication of Manchester City's history-making 2022-23 season, packed with amazing pictures, match reports and reaction. Get your copy here: https://reachsportshop.com/special_edition/manchester-city-treble-winners-2022-23-souvenir-publication/
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