A sickness bug has rampaged through the Norway camp ahead of today’s World Cup quarter-final against England, throwing their preparations into disarray as Thomas Tuchel’s side seek to build on a thrilling win over Mexico. The outbreak threatens to disrupt a Norway team already cast as underdogs despite boasting Erling Haaland, with the Three Lions installed as favourites for the tie at a tournament where they have been slowly re-focused by their manager after the emotional high of the last-16 victory.
England, meanwhile, have received a triple fitness boost with key trio training on the eve of the match, easing concerns that had been raised over their availability. However, four players are at risk of suspension, meaning any yellow card today would rule them out of a potential semi-final. Tuchel has worked to re-focus his squad after they took a while to come down from that dramatic Mexico win, ensuring full concentration on the task at hand.
“Sickness bug rampaged through Norway camp ahead of World Cup quarter-final against England”
The quarter-final presents a significant hurdle for England against a Norway side that will relish the underdog tag, but the sickness bug adds an unpredictable element. Fans of both nations are bracing for a ‘supercharged’ atmosphere, with one English pub in Trondheim reportedly drawing queues of five hours. Kick-off is later today, with the winner advancing to a massive semi-final showdown.