Norway are welcoming the choice headache of doubtless regaining star striker Ada Hegerberg for his or her Ladies’s World Cup round-of-16 conflict with Japan.
Hegerberg bizarrely pulled out of Norway’s second recreation in opposition to Switzerland mere minutes earlier than the opening whistle, later citing groin tightness.
Roma striker Sophie Roman Haug has excelled in Hegerberg’s absence, together with scoring a hat-trick within the 6-0 thrashing of the Philippines.
However coach Hege Riise flagged Lyon star Hegerberg needs to be match to characteristic in Wellington on Saturday in some capability, offered she acquired by Friday’s coaching.
“Ever since Ada’s damage, she’s been following the medical plan and been profitable in each step of that plan,” she advised reporters.
“So we are going to see her in coaching right now and see how how she reacts to that, just like the final step earlier than the sport tomorrow. And we put together for Ada to play or are available.
“So it will likely be a special situation, we all know we have now two good No.9 targets ahead and that is a luxurious for me as a coach.
“So we are going to see who will likely be accessible and enjoying from the beginning tomorrow.”
Riise, who gained the World Cup as a participant for Norway in 1995, beforehand scored in opposition to Japan within the 1999 match.
Japan put Spain to the sword with an excellent counter-attacking 4-0 win of their ultimate group recreation.
“Japan is an unimaginable staff. Their tempo is wonderful and the passing they do as properly is de facto spectacular,” midfielder Vilde Boa Risa mentioned.
“So it is completely an awesome staff.
“It should be an enormous problem for us however we have now carried out our perfect to organize for this recreation and hopefully it’ll be a superb recreation for us.
“Japan has been good because the first recreation they performed within the World Cup and it simply reveals the extent they’re at.”
Spain will hope to shortly bounce again once they tackle Switzerland in Saturday’s different match at Eden Park.
The Swiss, for his or her half, are eager to search out some goal-scoring rhythm and trigger an upset.
“We’re trying ahead to it. We have performed rather well in our group stage,” coach Inka Grings advised reporters by way of a FIFA interpreter.
“We perceive that Spain is without doubt one of the favourites.
“They carry that load and for us that implies that something is feasible.”
