Norway captain Martin Ødegaard injured an ankle on Monday ahead of a key series of games for his club Arsenal.
Ødegaard covered his face with his hands while being treated on the field midway through the second half of a 2-1 Nations League win over Austria.
He appeared to turn awkwardly on his left ankle in a tough challenge with Austria midfielder Christoph Baumgartner as both chased and stretched for a loose ball.
Ødegaard limped out of the game two minutes later and was consoled by his teammate Erling Haaland.
“It looked bad in the dressing room, too,” Norway coach Stale Solbakken told broadcaster TV 2. “He didn’t have the chance to continue.”
Ødegaard was due to return from national team duty into a tough week of away games for Arsenal.
The Gunners first go to London rival Tottenham Hotspur on Sunday then open their Champions League program at Atalanta, the Europa League winner, four days later in Italy. A visit to Manchester City completes a grueling week on Sept. 22.
Norway was level at 1-1 when Ødegaard went off and won the game on Haaland’s 80th-minute goal.
Information from The Associated Press was used in this story.