Norwich City face an anxious wait on the fitness of key midfielder Kenny McLean after he was forced off in the second half of Scotland’s Nations League 2-1 defeat against Portugal on Sunday night.

McLean conjured a superb assist for Scott McTominay’s seventh minute opener, but departed in the 74th minute with what appeared a muscular problem.

The Canaries’ midfielder was pictured consulting Scottish physio staff on the pitch during a break in play, before limping to the touchline to be replaced by Ryan Gauld.

City return to Championship action on Saturday with a trip to Swansea, and McLean has been an ever-present under new head coach Johannes Hoff Thorup in the opening weeks.

The Dane will hold his pre-match press call later in the week but the 32-year-old will now return to Colney for further assessment from the Norwich medical team.

McLean started his second consecutive game for his country in Lisbon, along with club mates Angus Gunn and Grant Hanley.

Gunn made some defiant stops after he was beaten by Manchester United’s Bruno Fernandes in the 54th minute, but Cristiano Ronaldo’s 901st senior career goal sealed the home comeback in the 88th minute.

Ronaldo was introduced at half-time by Portugal boss Roberto Martinez, with the Scots proving obdurate opponents as they looked to bounce back from a 3-2 opening Nations League defeat to Poland at Hampden Park.

Gunn got down low to his right in the 19th minute to claw out an angled strike from the excellent Rafael Leao. Then he went to his left on the half-hour mark to foil Diogo Jota, who had sneaked behind Scotland’s centre backs.

Nuno Mendes’ shot grazed an upright but after Gunn could only palm Fernandes’ sweeping effort from the edge of the box inside his left-hand post before he responded with a string of fine stops.

Joao Felix was thwarted with an outstretched left boot, following a clever exchange with Ronaldo to burst into the Scotland box.

The City number one then dived to his left to deny Felix with a stooping header, and reacted superbly to beat the Chelsea attacker to a rebound on his goal line after Ronaldo’s initial header cannoned off his right-hand post.

Manchester City’s Ruben Dias was denied by a one-handed stop, after a far post effort, but Gunn was left exposed two minutes from the end of normal time when the legendary Portuguese forward pounced from close range.