BRUNO FERNANDES DOUBTFUL FOR PORTUGAL'S NATIONS LEAGUE MATCH WITH NORWAY

Manchester United captain Bruno Fernandes is in doubt for Portugal's UEFA Nations League match against Norway after sustaining what head coach Jorge Jesus described as a "complicated issue" during Portugal's 1-0 win over Wales on Thursday. Speaking at a pre-match press conference, Jesus said Portugal had gone into the Wales fixture with almost all of their squad available, but came out of it with a concern involving Fernandes. He said the situation would be reviewed the following day, adding that not every player recovers fully within three days of a match. One report described Fernandes as having been ruled out of the Norway game, while others said he remained only a doubt. Portugal are due to play Norway, whose squad includes Erling Haaland, in Oslo on Sunday in their second group match of the Nations League, as they look to defend a title they have won twice.

Fernandes played the full 90 minutes in the win over Wales and set up an effort from Cristiano Ronaldo that beat goalkeeper Danny Ward, only for the goal to be disallowed by VAR following a close offside review. Jesus said his experience as a coach, along with his understanding of players' physiology, led him to expect that not everyone recovers in time after such a short turnaround between matches. Manchester United had a difficult run of results before the international break, winning only two matches in all competitions. They were held to a 1-1 draw by Fulham in their most recent outing, leaving them 12th in the Premier League table. Jesus gave no further detail on the nature of the injury.

Jesus said a decision on Fernandes's availability for the Norway match would be made closer to kickoff, following further assessment of his condition. Manchester United have not issued public comment on the injury. Fernandes has been a regular fixture for Portugal during their Nations League campaign, a competition they have won twice previously. Portugal's match against Norway continues their group campaign following the win over Wales. Any update on Fernandes's fitness is expected ahead of Sunday's kickoff in Oslo.