England Women Friendly Against Norway Cancelled Amid Coronavirus Concerns

England Women’s international friendly against Norway scheduled for Tuesday 1 December in Sheffield has been cancelled as a result of the Norwegian Football Federation’s decision not to travel amid ongoing coronavirus implications.

The game was due to be played at Bramall Lane and would have been broadcast live on BBC platforms, but it is now the second Lionesses game in a row that has been called off.

Last month’s friendly against Germany was cancelled two days before it was supposed to be played when a member of the England backroom staff tested positive for coronavirus. The FA therefore made the decision to pull out to protect the safety and welfare of everyone else.

The FA did not want to take the risk of any further positive tests while the group was in Germany and anyone having to self-isolate for 14 days in accordance with local regulations.

Even though the Norway friendly is now off, manager Phil Neville will still name an England squad and the players will meet for a training camp instead. That could include a training match at St George’s Park as was the case in September, but a schedule will be confirmed in due course.

“While I am disappointed for our fans and players, I fully respect Norway’s decision not to travel. These are still challenging times where health and safety for all is the most important thing to consider,” the Neville explained.

“We will still look to get the squad together for the final time this year, and continue the work we have been doing in integrating younger players and building for the future.”

England have not played since March when they finished third at the 2020 SheBelieves Cup and it was hoped that ending the year with two friendlies against tough opponents would be a good challenge for the players. But that has obviously now not been the case.

For more from Jamie Spencer, follow him on Twitter and Facebook!