Injury-hit Norway recall pair

Dan Eggen in action for Norway against Morocco at France 98

Dan Eggen and Orjan Berg are the two lucky men who have benefited from the catalogue of injuries to Norway's leading international footballers.

The two have been recalled to plug the gaps in an injury-ravaged 23-man squad named by coach Nils Johan Semb to face Slovakia.

Eggen plays his club football with the Spanish side Alaves who just missed out on gaining a Champions League place for next season.

He hasn't appeared for the national side since France 98 and missed the start of the season through injury.

Berg has had a fine season with Norway's top side Rosenborg, but his opportunities with the national side have been few and far between.

Semb has had to do without Man United's Ronny Johnsen, Oyvind Leonhardsen of Spurs and Erik Hoftun who plays for Rosenborg, while he is giving Jan Derek Sorensen, another Rosenborg player, more time to prove his fitness.

Sorensen is due for a minor knee operation next week and Semb says he will wait for him if necessary: "I'd prefer not to gamble with anything, but it's possible to name a player who is not fit when the squad is named, but who will be fit when the matches start."

Semb's problems could have been more severe as, despite earlier fears, he has been able to include the English-based trio of Eirik Bakke, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and Vegard Heggem, as well as Rosenborg's Roar Strand.

The game against Slovakia is Norway's last before Semb must finalise his squad although they will face Italy before Euro 2000 starts.

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Norway squad for match against Slovakia

Goalkeepers: Morten Bakke (Molde), Thomas Myhre (Everton), Frode Olsen (Sevilla).

Defenders: Trond Andersen (Wimbledon), Henning Berg (Manchester United), Andre Bergdolmo (Rosenborg Trondheim), Bjorn Otto Bragstad (Rosenborg), Dan Eggen (Alaves), Vegard Heggem (Liverpool), Vidar Riseth (Celtic).

Midfielders: Eirik Bakke (Leeds United), Orjan Berg (Rosenborg), Erik Mykland (Panathinaikos), Kjetil Rekdal (Valerenga), Bent Skammelsrud (Rosenborg), Stale Solbakken (AaB).

Forwards: John Carew (Rosenborg), Tore Andre Flo (Chelsea), Steffen Iversen (Tottenham Hotspur), Andreas Lund (Wimbledon), John Arne Riise (Monaco), Ole Gunnar Solskjaer (Manchester United), Roar Strand (Rosenborg).