National team manager Thorir Hergeirsson presented the election in Oslo on Tuesday. The players will have three test matches (against Brazil, Denmark and the Netherlands) at the end of October before leaving for the EC.

Skogrand became a mother for the second time this summer, and pregnancy meant that she wasn’t there when Norway secured WC gold in Spain ten months ago.

Nora Mørk is struggling with a muscle injury in her thigh and has not played in almost two weeks for club or national team. Despite that, he’s in the squad.

– Nora is working against time to recover. That’s on the right track, Hergeirsson said of Mørk’s situation.

Losing routine

Camilla Herrem, Sanna Solberg-Isaksen and Kari Brattset Dale (all pregnant) are irrelevant for EC. Veronica Kristiansen could play outside the championship, but it’s far from certain. These four players have a total of 744 international matches.

National team captain Stine Bredal Oftedal has struggled with an injury to his nose this fall and was recently absent from the Gold League.

– The broken nose has healed. He will probably play (for Györ) on Wednesday, Hergeirsson said of Oftedal.

Seven new faces

Marie Davidsen, Kristina Sirum Novak, Thale Rushfeldt Deila, Ane Cecilie Hgseth, Sunniva Næs Andersen, Anniken Wollik and Ragnhild Valle Dahl will all be freshmen of the championship.

– He has had several seasons in the Champions League and is technically a brilliant winger. He has developed a lot in his defensive game, the national team manager said of Næs Andersen.

EC is played in the period 4-20 November. Norway came there as defending champions and played all their matches in the Slovenian capital, Ljubljana.

Hergeirsson has selected 19 players. It could be 20 to the night before the first game.

Each team can make six substitutions during the championship, two in each EC phase. Players from a squad of 35 dirty names can be used.

Dominate

The European Women’s Handball Championship was first played in 1994. Since then, Norwegian women have been win eight times (1998, 2004, 2006, 2008, 2010, 2014, 2016 and 2020).

Victory in 1998 gave Norway its first international title in women’s handball.

This year, Norway will face Hungary, Croatia and Switzerland in the group stage. The top three advance to the main draw where three opponents from Denmark, Sweden, Slovenia and Serbia await.

Norway squad:

Goalkeepers: Katrine Lunde (Vipers Kristiansand), Silje Solberg Thassel (Györ), Marie Davidsen (CSM Bucharest).

Defenders: Stine Bredal Oftedal (Györ), Henny Reistad (Esbjerg), Emilie Hegh Arntzen (CSM Bucuresti), Kristine Breistl (Esbjerg), Thale Rushfeldt Deila (Molde), Ragnhild Valle Dahl (Vipers Kristiansand), Nora Mørk (Esbjerg) , Stine Skogrand (Herning-Ikast), Kristina Sirum Novak (Sola).

Line players: Vilde Ingstad (Esbjerg), Maren Aardahl (Odense), Ane Cecilie Høgseth (Storhamar).

Wingers: Malin Aune (CSM Bucharest), Emilie Hovden (Viborg), Sunniva Næs Andersen (Vipers Kristiansand), Anniken Wollik (Romerike Ravens).