After another significant outbreak of covid-19 among key players in the Strømsgodset squad, the club has tried on repeated occasions to have the series opener against Molde postponed.
The Norwegian Football Association has said no to the postponement, despite the fact that previous precedent is for matches to be postponed in such cases, and we are thus forced to play tonight’s match with a reduced squad.
A total of eight players belonging to the first team squad have been infected by the coronavirus. With several players unavailable due to injury in addition to these eight, only 14 players are in place in Molde and ready for tonight’s game.
Incidentally, three people in the support apparatus are also infected, and in other words, the apparatus on the bench will also be reduced for tonight’s match.
The squad for Molde is as follows: Frank Stople, Sondre Fosnæss Hanssen, Jesper Taaje, Sivert Westerlund, Dodou Gaye, Logi Tómasson, Emmanuel Danso, Kreshnik Krasniqi, Jonas Therkelsen, Samuel Silalahi, Eirik Ulland Andersen, Marcus Mehnert, Marko Farji and Elias Hoff Melkersen.
Per Kristian Bråtveit, Gustav Valsvik, Bent Sørmo, Fredrik Kristensen Dahl, Yves Vaage, Ernest Boahene, Lars Vilsvik, Fabian Holst-Larsen, Herman Stengel, Andreas Heredia-Randen, Jostein Ekeland and Ole Enersen are all unavailable.
Strømsgodset Toppfotball apologizes to our loyal supporters who make the trip to Molde that we have to start the season in such a way, and we would have preferred to have been allowed to open the season with a home game against Rosenborg next Sunday with a full squad. It always means something extra to be able to open the season in front of our own audience, and we are very disappointed that we will not be allowed to do that this year.
No further comments will be made regarding this press release until after tonight’s game.
The match against Molde kicks off at 17:00 and is shown on TV 2. The broadcast starts at 16:30.
PS: The whole matter is of course an April Fool’s joke – none of our players are affected by Corona, and we are looking forward to the start of the series in Molde, with an almost full squad