Carew and Riise in violent bust-up

Norway striker John Carew has been sent home after a violent row with international team-mate John Arne Riise ahead of the friendly match against Portugal.

Carew and Liverpool full-back Riise came to blows on the Norway team bus after a tempestuous training session in which they had to be separated by Wolves striker Steffen Iversen when they argued.

Their war of words continued after the training session and Norway coach Nils Johan Semb confirmed: "The coaching staff, players and members of the Norwegian Football Federation have agreed unanimously to remove John Carew from the the squad to face Portugal tomorrow."

Tore Krogstad, who runs the federation's elite football department, added: "The decision was unanimous and correct, and the incident was so serious and unacceptable that it demanded such an outcome."

Riise said: "We have apologised to each other and made up.

"This sort of thing happens but we went too far.

"But we made up yesterday evening, both apologised and we sat in a room and talked."

Carew opted to fly back to Italy, where he has recently joined the Serie A side Roma on a season-long loan from Valencia.