Top News

Viewers were left astonished by Norway manager Stale Solbakken’s decision to take off star forward Erling Haaland during extra time of their World Cup quarter-final clash with England, fuelling concerns about a possible injury.

Haaland has been a central figure in Norway’s remarkable campaign at their first World Cup appearance since 1998, netting seven goals — including a brace in their impressive last-16 triumph over Brazil — to help the Scandinavian nation reach the quarter-finals.

However, with Norway trailing 2-1 to England and in desperate need of his goal-scoring prowess, Solbakken made the surprising move of substituting Haaland at the halfway point of extra time.

The Manchester City striker, widely regarded as Norway’s most lethal attacking threat, was replaced by Crystal Palace forward Jorgen Strand Larsen, prompting immediate speculation among commentators that the 25-year-old might have sustained an injury.

Larsen, who had been struggling with illness in the days leading up to the match in Miami, was called upon to replace Haaland in the closing stages.

“It has to be an injury,” Alan Shearer told BBC Sport. “There’s simply no reason to remove Haaland when your team is desperate for a goal.”

Former England goalkeeper Paul Robinson echoed the sentiment, saying: “It must be fatigue for Erling Haaland because we haven’t seen him pick up an injury, and it’s not a call the manager would make lightly.”

Solbakken is expected to clarify his reasoning for the substitution in his post-match comments.

Haaland failed to score against England, marking the first time in this World Cup’s knockout rounds that he has not found the back of the net.

Earlier in the match, his involvement led to a disallowed goal for Norway, as his push on Elliot Anderson in the build-up caused Torbjorn Heggem’s second-half effort to be ruled out by VAR.

That goal would have handed Norway the lead after Andreas Schjelderup’s 36th-minute strike had been cancelled out by Jude Bellingham’s equaliser just before half-time.

The contest remained tied through the end of regular time, before England went ahead through another Bellingham goal just three minutes into extra time.