Norway's Solbakken faces wing conundrum ahead of England World Cup clash
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July 8 : Norway have sailed through to the quarter-finals of the World Cup on a wave of team spirit, but coach Stale Solbakken may have to risk rocking the boat with his choice of wingers ahead of Saturday's last-eight showdown with England.
The 58-year-old has gone with Antonio Nusa and Alexander Sorloth as his starters out wide in four of his side's five World Cup matches to date.
However, the performances of substitutes Andreas Schjelderup and Oskar Bobb in their superb 2-1 last-16 win over Brazil have many calling for them to start against England.
Nusa and Sorloth got little joy from the Brazilian defence in the first half and they were replaced at the break by Bobb and Schjelderup, with the latter setting up Erling Haaland for the game's opening goal with his third assist of the tournament.
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"I didn't really expect to come into the break, you get a bit shocked and taken aback, but I've been ready all the way if I'm needed," Schjelderup told newspaper VG.
With Sorloth deployed on the right and Nusa on the left, Solbakken likes his wingers to be able to cut inside and shoot or go outside and pull the ball into the box for Erling Haaland, who has rattled in seven goals in four games.
The wingers also have a key role in Norway's defensive set-up, following Haaland's lead when the Scandinavians press high and dropping off to support their full backs when faced with tricky opponents out wide.
"Neither of them played a bad game (against Brazil) - quite the opposite. They did a great job defensively, they were also involved offensively, but the game dictated that we needed different types of players," Solbakken said.
Sorloth, who is used to playing in a more central attacking role with his Spanish club side Atletico Madrid, was not happy to be replaced against Brazil.
"I was angry then, but I talked to Stale afterwards. We are good friends now, but I didn't understand much about it when it happened," he said.
Nusa, who scored Norway's opening goal in their last-32 win over the Ivory Coast, took the news that he was being replaced slightly more positively than Sorloth, praising his good friend Schjelderup and the team for their performance.
"You just have to praise the lads. I'm really proud of them, that they get to shine. That's what's important in a team," Nusa said.
"The fact that I don't have my (best) day just means that others can have their day, and that's fine with me - as long as we win and progress, I'm very happy with that."
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