Erling Haaland scored in the 79th and 90th minutes to stun Brazil and send Norway into the FIFA World Cup quarterfinals for the first time in history. A dream clash with England in Miami now awaits on Saturday. However, deeply worrying news from Norway’s base in Greensboro is threatening to overshadow the nation’s greatest football triumph.
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With the Round of 8 clash only days away, concerns are growing that a sickness bug could spread through the squad. The worry surfaced soon after Stale Solbakken’s men defeated Brazil on Sunday. The manager revealed that “coughing and rasping” had spread across the travelling group of more than 50 players and staff.
“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,” Stale Solbakken told the media.
“But 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.”
🚨🚨| BREAKING: Norway manager Stale Solbakken reveals several players are 𝐅𝐀𝐋𝐋𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐈𝐋𝐋 ahead of Saturday’s quarter-final vs England in Miami. 🤒🇳🇴
Players reported feeling weak and starting to cough days before the last-eight clash (23:00 kick-off).
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Plus, the illness has already disrupted Norway’s World Cup campaign. Previously, striker Jorgen Strand Larsen missed their opening against Iraq due to sickness. On the other hand, full-back Marcus Holmgren Pedersen missed the game against Brazil with a bug. In fact, cameras caught Solbakken coughing violently while speaking to the press.
Moreover, concerns have also compounded due to the travel schedule. According to Dagbladet, exhaustion, illness, and the demands of constant travel have left Haaland & Co. on edge.
Erling Haaland & Co. haven’t had a moment’s rest
Since they arrived in America, the Norwegian squad has barely had time to settle. While North Carolina has remained the team’s base throughout the World Cup, the squad has logged plenty of miles traveling to matches. They travelled to Boston twice during the group stage and also made the trip to New Jersey to face Senegal.
It’s safe to say their schedule has stayed relentless. They later defeated the Ivory Coast 2-1 in Dallas before returning to New Jersey to take on Brazil. Now, amidst the sickness, the team will report in Miami on Tuesday to acclimatize themselves before Saturday’s mega clash.
While Erling Haaland‘s side faces illness trouble, England is taking a few days off before their quarterfinal clash against Norway. They just defeated Mexico 3-2 at the Azteca Stadium, experiencing altitude and a boisterous home crowd.
It is going to be an intense watch on Saturday as the Three Lions meet Norway at the Hard Rock Stadium.
