Norway’s national team will travel to Austria with a new squad

In the final National League match against Austria in Vienna, Norway will play with a new squad led by Leif Gunnar Smerud.

Norway still has a chance to become the League winner in the National League. 

An away match win with any result other than 1-0 will send Norway to the top of the group.

Since the original squad and support staff are all in quarantine after Omar Elabdellaoui’s tested positive for the coronavirus, U21 coach Smerud will lead the team, which – with one exception – will consist of players from foreign clubs.

“I look forward to meeting the players, who have responded with great enthusiasm to help the national team in a chaotic situation. 

“Now it’s all about preparing for a good performance against Austria,” Smerud told fotball.no.

Traveling together

Originally a plan was made for the players to travel directly from their respective countries (11 players) to Vienna. 

That turned out to be too complicated, both in terms of entry from different countries to Austria and the implications of such a plan on the testing regime.

The players will, therefore, all travel to Norway and land at Gardermoen by direct flight, go directly to an airport hotel with a strict infection control regime, be tested there, and travel together on Tuesday in a charter flight to Vienna. 

The plan has been approved by the Norwegian Directorate of Health and the Ministry of Health.

© NTB Scanpix / #Norway Today