SportFootballWorld Cup 2026England face Norway in the World Cup quarter-finals and their opponents have been forced to deal with illness throughout their campaign so far12:52, 07 Jul 2026Updated 12:54, 07 Jul 2026England's World Cup opponents Norway have been hit by sickness ahead of the quarter-final clash against the Three Lions, according to reports. Fatigue and illness have disrupted the nation's preparations‌Having travelled thousands of miles across the tournament, there is a suggestion that the jetsetting has taken its toll on the squad, per Norwegian outlet Dagbladet. The team has already been hit by bouts of illness as they navigated their way through the competition.‌Crystal Palace forward Jorgen Strand Larsen missed the first match of the World Cup due to illness. Marcus Holmgren Pedersen was then absent from the knockout clash against Brazil due to a bug.‌Manager Solbakken was spotted coughing in the press conference following Norway's 4-1 defeat to France. Solbakken has revealed his concerns."We've really only had Jorgen 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."Solbakken, however, has attempted to alleviate concerns over Pedersen's absence against Brazil. He believes the player's issues come from a load that he did not anticipate."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]’.Article continues below"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."Choose Daily Mirror as a 'Preferred Source' on Google News for quick access to the news you value.‌England football teamWorld Cup 2026