– We hope to have some good news (about Martin) during the day, the national team manager said at a press conference on Wednesday.

degaard had to miss Arsenal’s game on Sunday due to an injury he picked up in training, but there were no serious injuries. Nevertheless, Solbakken letting it shine through the Slovenia game on Saturday may come too early.

– There’s a rush to the match, which goes without saying. For the game against Serbia on Tuesday, I’m pretty sure he’ll make it. We’ll see what comes out today, said Solbakken.

degaard is the only one to start all 18 games since Solbakken became national team manager. It’s likely that another will lead Norway onto the pitch in Ljubljana on Saturday, and in this case Erling Braut Haaland.

Haaland has captained Norway by taking charge of games when degaard is substituted, including in the home win against Sweden in June.

Mature

– Being a captain is big, that is. I just have to keep doing what I’ve been doing in the last few sessions. “Who the captain is actually the same, because we need more than one leader on the pitch,” Haaland said on Wednesday.

Solbakken doesn’t mind using the 22-year-old as captain. degaard himself was 22 when he was appointed last year.

– There are many ways to become a leader. Both Erling and Martin were among those who spoke the most, but what they said was often well-chosen words, and they had a good understanding of football. Erling continues to grow in his thinking about the game, not only for his own achievements, but to make the whole team shine, said the national team manager.

youth team

– We have one of the youngest national teams in the world, which is why we have a young captain and vice-captain.

Along with degaard, Marcus Holmgren Pedersen was also sidelined during training at Ullevaal on Wednesday. The Feyenoord defender is struggling with a sore foot. He remains banned for a yellow card against Slovenia.

The other 24 players in the squad were in action on the grass of Ullevaal, in a training session closed to outsiders after the warm-up.

(© NTB)