Coach rests Benfica star, World Cup still a long way off | OneFootball

Stale Solbakken confirmed that Fredrik Aursnes will not be able to play in Norway's two friendlies at the end of March, against the Netherlands and Switzerland, due to a injury to the back of his left thigh, suffered in the Benfica match against Gil Vicente on March 2, in Barcelos.

Despite this, the coach remains confident in the midfielder for the 2026 World Cup. In statements to TV2, Solbakken explained that he maintains "good communication" with Aursnes and is not worried about his absence in the March games, emphasizing that "there is a long time until the World Cup and Fredrik will have the opportunity to play several games and regain his form."

The coach also considered it "positive" that the player "has played many games before the injury." The forecast is that Fredrik Aursnes will only be available in four to five weeks, that is, after the international break in April.

The injury will force the midfielder to miss the two friendlies, but it should not compromise his presence in the final phase of the World Cup. The 'number 8' is expected to gain momentum in the match against Nacional on April 12, in order to be in the best possible shape for the encounter against Sporting.

This season, wearing the Benfica jersey, Fredrik Aursnes - valued at 17 million euros - has already played 43 games: 22 in the Liga Portugal Betclic, 14 in the Champions League, four in the Portuguese Cup, two in the League Cup, and one in the Super Cup.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇵🇹 here.