Norway’s historic World Cup run has taken them to the last eight in the competition, and their next challenge against England could be made even more difficult after news of sickness around the camp.
It comes just days after Erling Haaland’s heroics spurred the Scandinavians to a 2-1 win over Brazil, preserving their undefeated record against one of the biggest footballing nations.
Manager Stale Solbakken has shared details of the health issues to the media ahead of Saturday’s quarter-final in Miami. It might be scorching hot down there, but it hasn’t stopped illness spreading among his players and staff.
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Stale Solbakken, Jorgen Strand Larsen and Norway’s sickness problem
The Telegraph reported details of Norway “battling illness” in the camp on Tuesday. Two players, Jorgen Strand Larsen and Marcus Holmgren Pedersen, missed games in recent weeks due to illness, and there has been lingering symptoms shown by a number of players and staff.
Speaking to the media, Solbakken explained: “We’ve really only had Jorgen who has had a fever. But then there’s been a bit of coughing and rasping evenly, scattered throughout.
“There’s air conditioning, flights, changing rooms and all that. We’re over 50 people so it would be strange if one or the other didn’t come.”
Solbakken himself was “coughing violently” during a press conference earlier in the tournament.
By the sounds of it, there has been a bug of sorts circulating for the past couple of weeks, and it has not fully gone away. He will be hoping the next to feel the effects won’t be one of his starters.
England is the biggest challenge Norway have faced so far, at least from the games they were trying to win. If someone like Haaland or Martin Odegaard were to catch it next, it would be detrimental to their hopes of a semi-final appearance.
Norway have been one of the stories of the tournament, and even for those of an English persuasion, it would be a shame to see their run derailed by sickness, rather than decided on the pitch.
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