An update has been provided by Norway’s team doctor after the squad were reportedly hit with an issue days before their crunch World Cup quarter-final clash against England.

Norway, inspired by their world-class centre-forward Erling Haaland, secured their spot in the last eight with an eye-catching 2-1 win over five-time champions Brazil at the New York New Jersey Stadium on Sunday night.

Hours later, at the famous Azteca Stadium, England secured a thrilling 3-2 win over Mexico in a contender for the best game of the tournament.

It means Norway and England will go head-to-head for a place in the 2026 World Cup semi-finals, where they will meet either Argentina or Switzerland. Kick-off is scheduled for 10pm (BST), although there are concerns the start time may be delayed again.

Norway Squad ‘Hit by Sickness Bug’

REUTERS/Dylan Martinez

However, it was widely reported on Tuesday that Norway’s players have been affected by a sickness bug ahead of the clash against Thomas Tuchel’s star-studded squad.

Reports claimed several members of Norway’s squad have experienced flu-like symptoms during the tournament, with manager Stale Solbakken confirming that illness had been circulating throughout camp.

Among the players previously affected, according to Norwegian outfit Dagbladet, were striker Jorgen Strand Larsen, who missed Norway’s opener through illness, and defender Marcus Holmgren Pedersen, who missed the Brazil clash after falling sick.

“I had been in the hospital bed for two days straight and was really sick,” Strand Larsen told Nettavisen, per The Metro. “At first you get scared. I woke up the day before the match and felt it a little, and then it was worse than I had imagined. I got ‘FOMO’ [fear of missing out] and thought I wouldn’t be allowed to join.”

Strand Larsen has since recovered, but there are concerns that the sickness bug affecting the squad may not have been fully eradicated.

Norway Doctor Issues Update

REUTERS/Dylan Martinez

However, Norway’s team doctor Ola Sand insists reports of a worrying illness in the camp have been overblown.

He told Nettavisen: “All players are healthy now. Very little fuss considering that we have been close together for almost six weeks.”

Asked about headlines in the English media about the alleged ‘sickness bug’, Sand said:

Meanwhile, Solbakken revealed: “We’ve really only had Jorgen [Strand Larsen] who has had ​a fever, but then there’s been a bit of ​coughing and rasping scattered throughout.

“But there’s air conditioning, flights, changing rooms and all that. There’s 50 people [in Norway’s ​travelling party], so it would be strange if ​something or other didn’t crop up.”

It seems Sand and Solbakken are convinced they will have their strongest team available for arguably the biggest match in the Norwegian national team’s history.

Anthony Joshua has revealed his physique ahead of his return to the boxing ring, which is now just weeks away. He takes on Albanian Kristian Prenga in his first bout since December.

Following the win over Jake Paul, Joshua was involved in a fatal car crash, which claimed the lives of two of his friends. It left many doubts and questions over his future in the sport.

However, he is now set to return in a warm-up bout ahead of the highly anticipated Tyson Fury fight, which is still in the pipeline. It’s the fight the fans want to see, and with both fighters set to be back in the ring this month, it seems like the wait could finally be over at the end of the year.

Following a tough few years, Joshua opted to work with former rival Oleksandr Usyk‘s team. They linked up before the Paul fight, where he finished the former YouTuber and left him needing jaw surgery.

While it’s still early days for this new relationship, more questions will be answered after the Prenga fight. The Albanian comes into the clash with just one defeat on his record, and of his 20 fights, all have ended before the final bell, though, it’s hard to determine his level due to the gulf in skill level.

The Joshua fight will be far and away his biggest test yet, especially as he will also have to navigate the increased media attention and the bright lights that come with taking on a superstar.

Anthony Joshua’s Physique Stuns Boxing Fans

The preparations for the fight seem to be going perfectly, with Joshua taking to social media to post some pictures from within camp, captioning it: “Skills pay the bills.”

As expected, he is in tremendous shape, looking more than ready for this return.

All the work and preparation going into this is with the Fury fight in mind. His fellow countryman takes to the ring that same week, the night before, in fact, with The Gypsy King facing Poland’s Mariusz Wach in Thailand as he also looks to prepare for their blockbuster clash.

Anthony Joshua vs Tyson Fury

The details of the fight still haven’t been confirmed with some issues over the location, and what time the fight will take place at. With the long-standing rivalry, and both fighters being from the UK, it only makes sense that Wembley would play host.

However, it may come at a cost of the time zones. Turki Alalshikh is looking for the spectacle to take place at a suitable time for the US audience, which would mean it would be in the early hours for the UK fans, or it may even be scheduled for somewhere else.

This wouldn’t be the first time this has happened, with UFC 304 taking place in the early hours of the morning. This was despite the event taking place in Manchester, and largely centring around British fighters.

Regardless of all the behind the scenes politics, the focus for Joshua remains on Prenga. Getting the job done on the 25th of July is the aim, and it looks like he’s putting in all the necessary work to be ready for both that fight, and the eventual Fury challenge.

Following Wimbledon‘s quarter-finals, where both Jannik Sinner and Novak Djokovic came out victorious, a blockbuster semi-final between the pair has been set up. It’s a repeat of the clash one year ago, where the former came out on top and advanced to the final, where he defeated Carlos Alcaraz.

In terms of their pathway to this year’s match-up, Djokovic has been in fine form. He got the better of Felix Auger-Aliassime in the quarter-final, which was quite the moment when you consider the adversity he had to face, and the fact it went for over five hours, the Serb’s longest-ever game at SW19.

Meanwhile, Sinner advanced thanks to a win over Germany’s Jan-Lennard Struff. He is looking to make it back-to-back triumphs at Wimbledon, though, it won’t be a simple task.

Here is how the Supercomputer envisages the tie, with paths to victory and how they have looked during the early rounds.

Supercomputer’s Key Factors

The Supercomputer acknowledged some of the major factors heading into the semi-final. Sinner, the fresher and younger player, has conserved energy with mostly straight-set wins. His serve and his backhand have been outstanding so far, and have given him the perfect platform for these victories.

On the other hand, Djokovic has shown incredible resilience to reach another semi-final, but it has certainly taken a lot out of him. The quarter-final was draining, and he even admitted there were concerns over recovery after spending more than five hours on court.There is also their head-to-head momentum, with Sinner having the upper hand in recent meetings. However, this isn’t to say it hasn’t been close, with Djokovic able to disrupt the Italian’s rhythm with his return game. The 39-year-old even came out victorious earlier this year at the Australian Open.

Supercomputer’s Advice For Both Players

Marko Djurica via Reuters

For Djokovic, the Supercomputer thinks he needs to land a very high first-serve percentage, and extend rallies to test Sinner’s patience rather than trying to overpower him. Furthermore, winning the big points will be crucial. Tiebreaks will be especially key, an area where he’s been historically exceptional.

In contrast, Sinner needs to keep the rallies aggressive from the baseline, trying to overwhelm Djokovic with that pressure. In addition to this, attacking his second serve will be key, while also preventing the veteran from dictating the tempo with his return game.

Supercomputer’s Final Prediction

Andrew Couldridge via Reuters

Overall, the Supercomputer sees Sinner as a moderate favourite, and it thinks it will end with victory for the Italian in four sets: 6-4, 7-6, 4-6, 6-3.

While it can see Djokovic producing periods of vintage tennis and probably stealing a set, it also thinks Sinner’s superior physical condition, current confidence, and relentless baseline consistency should prove decisive over four sets.

However, it does give Djokovic a better chance if the match extends beyond four hours, especially due to his experience of those situations in big Grand Slam tournaments. Though, overall, and based on how both players have arrived at this semi-final, Sinner has the edge in the view of the Supercomputer.