Eight with recent injuries, more with long-term trouble and two insecure squad members in Erling Braut Haaland and Per Kristian Bråtveit means that Solbakken must go six years back in time to find something similar before the upcoming national team gathering:

– I remember a team picture with FC Copenhagen against West Zealand where we had ten men on crutches in a “damn” cup final against West Zealand. How they won that final … There were not many who had wasted when the season started. So it is clear, it is special, also because it came so much in one position (attack), says Solbakken to VG Sunday night.

The Turkey match in Istanbul next Friday also has a stamped as “The little finale”. But tactics, battle plan, withdrawals – now everything will be different than what he had actually started preparing a while ago.

– We have to put the puzzle back together. It will be a different team with different players, and plan A and plan B have been shelved. We have to get on the drawing board again. Tomorrow it will be most recovery, then it is to nail the tactical Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday, describes the national team manager.

– Do you plan to bring in even more to the Montenegro match (October 11)?

– Not if it does not matter. We have some yellow cards, maybe it can show something with some after the first match, but we can not have a hundred new ones. I think we have useful coverage for the positions we need.

– Are the injuries about bad luck or tough match load on the players?

-If you take the eight-nine due dates, it’s a blissful mix. Sørloth has enough to do with the club change, while Erling is an accident in training. King comes after a kick, Solbakken recalls.

He admits:

– It was hard to believe that you should see that the king went together there. In that sense, it is “incredible”. Normann did his best Premier League match and started to get into trouble eventually and was in excruciating pain today.

In the original selection, the Vikings’ form striker Veton Berisha got the last of the attacking places. On Sunday, Solbakken extended the offensive shot with the Elite Series’ superb top scorer Ohi Omoijuanfo from Molde. Solbakken has previously mentioned Lillestrøm captain Thomas Lehne Olsen and Erik Botheim (in the squad against the Netherlands last) as candidates.

– It’s a bit about the gut feeling, how we think it will be and after discussion in the coaching team. There are small margins and small differences, but Ohi has wasted internationally with Molde in the European Cup, Solbakken points out about extra choices.