Norway’s World Cup preparations have unravelled in the days before Saturday night’s quarter-final against England at Miami Stadium, with a sickness bug, a forced hotel move and a frustrated striker compounding their problems.
Goalkeeper Orjan Nyland revealed on Tuesday that the team doctor has been “very busy” after a virus swept through the camp. “I can confirm that it's true, we've had our issues, we're doing the best we can and the team doctor is very busy at the moment,” Nyland said. “I have no idea what the source was, we did have some time off so maybe someone contracted something.”
“Norway report sickness bug, hotel disruption and player irritation ahead of World Cup quarter-final against England”
The illness arrived as Norway were already grappling with logistical disruptions at their base in Fort Lauderdale. Players became frustrated by noise and basic issues at The Dalmar, a five-star hotel, prompting management to move the squad to a different Miami hotel. The disruption was serious enough for Norway to lodge an official complaint with World Cup organisers FIFA.
Meanwhile, Alexander Sorloth’s father has added to the tension by revealing that the Atletico Madrid striker is “irritated” at being substituted during matches. “He gets irritated about being taken off, he should be every day all year round, regardless of whether it's the World Cup, the European Championship or a regular international match,” his father said.
Norway stunned Brazil in the previous round to set up the meeting with England, who beat Mexico. But the accumulation of setbacks — illness, accommodation upheaval and internal friction — threatens to undermine their bid for a semi-final place. With just days to go, manager Stale Solbakken faces the challenge of ensuring his squad is focused on the pitch rather than the chaos off it.