Norway's Medical Staff Quells Illness Rumors Ahead of England Showdown

The Norwegian national team doctor was compelled to issue a public statement after head coach Ståle Solbakken raised health concerns within the squad ahead of their quarter-final clash against England in Miami.

Norway advanced past Brazil with a 2-1 victory in their Round of 16 match in New Jersey, thanks to two second-half goals from Erling Haaland.

For that fixture, the team had a full complement of players, with the sole exception of Torino defender Marcus Pedersen, who was sidelined due to illness.

In his post-match press conference, Solbakken revealed that on the day of the game, Pedersen “felt his body wasn't right,” despite having fully participated in prior training sessions.

He further explained that striker Jørgen Strand Larsen had been suffering from a fever, from which the Crystal Palace player has since recovered. The coach added that there had been “a little coughing and hoarseness spread throughout the squad.”

“There are air conditioners, flights, changing rooms, and everything else,” Solbakken noted. “We are over 50 people, so it would be strange if no one got sick.”

The coach's comments appeared to allude to the general fatigue within the squad following the significant amount of travel undertaken during the World Cup so far.

For instance, the team had to travel 1,100 miles from the Dallas stadium to their base in Greensboro, North Carolina, after defeating Ivory Coast 2-1 in the Round of 16.

They then faced an additional journey of over 500 miles to MetLife Stadium (known as New York/New Jersey Stadium for sponsorship reasons) for their encounter with Brazil.

However, speculation surrounding the health of the Norwegian squad prompted team doctor Ola Sand to release a statement, denying any significant concerns ahead of the England match.

“All players are healthy at the moment,” Sand told Norwegian outlet Nettavisen.

“Very few issues, considering we've been together for almost six weeks. So it's great that they believe this rumor [about a virus]. We have things under control.”