Erling Haaland's international break ended early after he asked to be taken off in Norway’s 2-1 UEFA Nations League defeat to Portugal, a week before Manchester City face Liverpool in the Premier League.
The Man City striker – who had scored three goals and played the full 90 minutes in his previous three games in the international break – gestured to the bench to be substituted in the 67th minute and was replaced by Crystal Palace forward Jorgen Strand Larsen.
It is the earliest Haaland has been replaced in a competitive international match since June 2022.
Norway were drawing 1-1 at the time after Brentford defender Kristoffer Ajer scored from Arsenal captain Martin Odegaard's cross, but went on to lose their third successive game in Group A4.
“We agreed that he would start and play until he could no longer contribute,” Norway head coach Stale Solbakken said about Haaland after the match. “We had 60 minutes plus in mind. He made it to 65 minutes.”
Concerns over Haaland's fitness come after his Man City teammate Nico O’Reilly was forced to withdraw from the England squad after playing just one match, with his club colleague Rico Lewis called up ahead of Tuesday’s game with Czech Republic.
Their upcoming Premier League opponents Liverpool have injury worries of their own.
Alexander Isak left the Sweden squad with a thigh problem after scoring against Romania in the first round of international matches.
Cody Gakpo was also withdrawn from the Netherlands camp after picking up an ankle injury in his second game of the break against Serbia, having notched a stoppage-time equaliser against Germany in the first fixture.
It has been a better period for other Liverpool players, as captain Virgil van Dijk celebrated his 100th cap for the Netherlands in a 2-1 victory over Serbia on Sunday, when Manchester United forward Joshua Zirkzee grabbed the winner off the bench.
Van Dijk also scored for the Netherlands in a 2-2 draw with Greece last week, while Florian Wirtz helped to create Germany’s first goal and scored the second in a 2-0 win over Serbia.
Milos Kerkez netted his first Hungary goal in a 1-0 win over Georgia, and Jeremy Jacquet impressed on his first two appearances for France – a 1-0 win over Belgium and a 1-1 draw with Italy.
In the third round of international games on Saturday, Arsenal winger Bukayo Saka bagged a brace as England recorded a landmark 7-0 win in Croatia in the UEFA Nations League on Saturday.
Chelsea’s Morgan Rogers also got on the scoresheet, and AFC Bournemouth midfielder Alex Scott made his first international start, as the Three Lions achieved their biggest winning margin against a top-50 nation since FIFA rankings began.
However, Scott has picked up a quad injury and has now returned to his club, with media reports suggesting he could be out for up to two months.
Arsenal centre-half Ezri Konsa has also withdrawn from the England squad with what is believed to be a minor issue after playing 90 minutes against Croatia.
In Saturday’s other match in Group A3, Konsa’s Gunners teammate Mikel Merino netted for Spain in a 3-1 win against Czech Republic.
A day earlier, Viktor Gyokeres continued his fine form during this international break, scoring his third goal in as many matches in Sweden’s 1-1 draw with Bosnia-Herzegovina.
The Arsenal striker is now the first player to score in six consecutive UEFA Nations League matches, having also found the net against Romania and Poland in the past few days, continuing a run which began in October 2024.
Gyokeres’ impressive displays could be timely for his club, given the man who has kept him out of the Arsenal team so far this season, Kai Havertz, was withdrawn from the Germany squad last week with the muscle injury he picked up against the Netherlands.
The Premier League champions have given no official update on Havertz’s fitness ahead of their home match against Leeds United - the opening fixture of Matchweek 6 on 10 October - but media reports suggest the forward could be sidelined for four weeks.
Meanwhile, Tottenham Hotspur left-back Andy Robertson became just the second player to reach 100 caps for Scotland on Saturday, helping keep a clean sheet in a 2-0 win over North Macedonia, with Aston Villa’s John McGinn scoring a second-half penalty.
Scotland captain Robertson is now only two appearances away from equalling Sir Kenny Dalglish's all-time national record of 102 caps.
In contrast, Brentford defender Michael Kayode is just starting out his international career, netting on his Italy debut in a 4-1 win against Turkey last week, before also starting their draw with France.
CONCACAF Nations League
Sunderland striker Wilson Isidor scored twice in a 4-1 win over Dominican Republic last week, having netted a stoppage-time winning goal against Trinidad and Tobago earlier in the break.
His goals come after the Black Cats’ first-choice frontman Brian Brobbey - who scored a hat-trick Man City and was voted Player of the Matchweek before the break – was forced off for the Netherlands against Germany last week with an apparent hamstring injury.
Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers
Brighton & Hove Albion midfielder Malick Yalcouye enjoyed a dream debut for Ivory Coast at the start of the international break, scoring and winning a penalty in a 2-0 victory over Ghana. Newcastle winger Bazoumana Toure then struck for the Ivorians in a 2-0 win over Somalia on Tuesday.
Spurs forward Omar Marmoush fired in a brace for Egypt in their 5-0 win over South Sudan, while Newcastle striker Yoane Wissa has scored twice in two games for DR Congo.
Two Aston Villa players linked up for Senegal in a 1-0 victory over Ethiopia last week, as Nicolas Jackson – who also scored in a draw with Mozambique last week – assisted for Ibrahim Mbaye.
In Senegal’s 1-0 friendly win over Comoros on Sunday, Mbaye set up Man City winger liman Ndiaye to score.
Estevao, Guimaraes and Rayan score for Brazil
Brazil thrashed India 4-0 in an international friendly on Saturday, with Chelsea winger Estevao scoring one and making another, putting him in contention to make his first Premier League start of the season against Bournemouth on Saturday 10 October.
Earlier in the break, Arsenal midfielder Bruno Guimaraes was on the scoresheet in a 4-2 win over Australia on Tuesday, four days after Bournemouth winger Rayan netted in stoppage time to force a 1-1 draw against the same opponents.
Other Premier League players who have grabbed goals in this international break include: Arsenal’s Christos Tzolis (Greece), Brentford’s Mikkel Damsgaard (Denmark), Brighton’s Yasin Ayari (Sweden), Fulham’s Oscar Bobb (Norway) and Shea Charles (Northern Ireland),Nottingham Forest's Dan Ndoye (Switzerland) and Neco Williams (Wales), and Man Utd’s Bryan Mbeumo (Cameroon).