Norway hit by illness and fatigue ahead of World Cup quarter-final against England

Norway arrive at their Women’s World Cup quarter-final against England carrying a squad-wide illness concern, with manager Ståle Solbakken acknowledging that fatigue and sickness have dogged his side throughout the tournament.

Crystal Palace forward Jørgen Strand Larsen missed Norway’s opening group match due to illness, while Marcus Holmgren Pedersen was absent from the knockout-round clash against Brazil after picking up a bug. Solbakken himself was seen coughing at the press conference following Norway’s 4-1 defeat to France.

The manager has pointed to the relentless travel demands of the tournament as a contributing factor, with Norway having covered thousands of miles across multiple host cities. Speaking to reporters, Solbakken sought to contextualise the situation without dismissing it entirely.

“We’ve really only had Jørgen who has had a fever,” he said. “But then there’s been a bit of coughing and rasping evenly, scattered throughout. 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.”

On Pedersen’s absence against Brazil specifically, Solbakken offered a more nuanced explanation, suggesting the young player’s body had simply been overwhelmed by the experience of the tournament.

“I think, without being a doctor, that it’s a combination of the boy being young — he’s come to the World Cup and thought, ‘I’m going to be a backup for Julian [Ryerson]’,” Solbakken said. “He’s had two games and played great, got a lot of impressions, his head is full, his body is full of impressions, and the system is collapsing a bit.”

England will be aware that a depleted or fatigued Norway side presents both an opportunity and a warning: a squad managing illness deep into a tournament can be unpredictable, and Solbakken has shown he is capable of rotating to protect key players when necessary.