A wave of illness has disrupted Norway’s preparations for their maiden World Cup quarter-final, with head coach Stale Solbakken confirming that a number of his squad are struggling with fevers, coughs and fatigue just days before the meeting with England in Miami. Striker Jørgen Strand Larsen and defender Marcus Holmgren Pedersen are among those affected, Norwegian media reported, though Solbakken insisted the situation is improving. “We’ve really only had Jørgen who has had a fever, but then there’s been a bit of coughing and rasping scattered throughout,” he told reporters, adding that the timing is “not ideal during a tournament, but we are managing it.”

The health troubles have shadowed the squad since the group stage. Strand Larsen missed the opening match against Iraq with a fever, while Pedersen was absent from the round-of-16 victory over Brazil after developing a fever, cough and sore throat. Solbakken, speaking to Norwegian daily Dagbladet, noted that the relentless travel schedule of this expanded tournament — crisscrossing the United States from Boston to New Jersey, Dallas and back again — combined with air conditioning and changing-room environments, had likely contributed. He also suggested that the mental strain of a first World Cup had taken a toll on the 25-year-old Pedersen, who unexpectedly started two matches. “His head is full, his body is full of impressions, and then the system collapses a bit,” Solbakken said.

Norway’s presence in the last eight is itself a landmark. They reached this stage by eliminating five-time champions Brazil 2-1, a result built on two goals from Erling Haaland, who now has seven in the tournament and sits among the leading scorers. Earlier wins against Senegal and Ivory Coast, either side of a heavy defeat to France, secured their passage from the group. The victory over Brazil, viewed from European football circles, was a triumph of counter-attacking precision and physical set-piece execution, hallmarks of a side that has maximised a golden generation of attacking talent.

England await in Miami, having themselves navigated a dramatic 3-2 win over Mexico in the round of 16. Solbakken described Gareth Southgate’s side as “a very strong opponent,” and the illness outbreak adds an unwelcome layer of uncertainty to Norway’s historic occasion. The winner will advance to the semi-finals, where either Argentina or the Netherlands will be waiting.