Captain Martin Odegaard shrugs off injury concerns as Norway prepare for Iraq opener

[p]With [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/haaland-erling/UmV9iQmE/"]Erling Haaland[/a] scoring the goals and [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/odegaard-martin/ID32TGhp/"]‌Odegaard[/a] pulling the strings in midfield, [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/norway/8rP6JO0H/"]Norway[/a] have made ‌their way back to the top table of ‌global football, but a run of injuries early in the year raised questions over the health of the ‌midfielder who recently won the English ⁠Premier League title ‌with [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/arsenal/hA1Zm19f/"]Arsenal[/a].[/p][p]"[b]I feel good. I don't know what you're so ​worried about - yes, I've had some trouble, as you know, but I feel good ​now[/b]," Odegaard told reporters on Sunday.[/p][p]Having missed out on the last six World Cups, Norway stormed ⁠to victory in ​their qualification group ahead of [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/italy/hlKvieGH/"]Italy[/a] and [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/israel/rqK1ypob/"]Israel[/a] on the back of eight wins in eight games, with 37 goals scored and five conceded.[/p][image alt="Odegaard's Premier League stats this season" id="8beb6d71-c503-4a97-8b92-deb5df50191b" credit-line="Cornelius Poppe / NTB / Opta by StatsPerform" guid="eefdc955-3953-4892-9a72-e9f3401c6f31" original-width="1080" original-height="1080" /][p]"[b]That's where ‌we've set the standard, after what we've done in qualifying. We're changing expectations, that's good and I'm not going to say that's wrong. Now it's [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/iraq/K8aAGt6r/"]Iraq[/a] that matters[/b]," Odegaard said.[/p][p]Norway coach Stale Solbakken said both Odegaard and Haaland were fit for the opener against Iraq, with Haaland in particular looking sharp.[/p][p]"[b]He had his best training session ‌yesterday, 11 against 11, and he had the ​goal of the year. It would have ‌been the goal of the year in the World Cup if it had been broadcast, a volley from 20 meters - if it had hit (goalkeeper Egil) Selvik, he would have been ⁠killed, but luckily it ⁠went into the ‌corner[/b]," the coach laughed.[/p][infobox id="4ccc1b10-d68f-4c97-bcf4-5e613c17c2e3" /]