Norway coach Ståle Solbakken dismissed speculation that his team's abundance of Premier League players gives them an advantage over England in the World Cup quarter-final, jokingly noting that England's biggest stars play in other leagues.

Norway's squad includes Manchester City striker Erling Haaland and Arsenal captain Martin Ødegaard, but Solbakken pointed out that England's top attacking contributors play outside the Premier League.

While Bayern Munich striker Harry Kane is competing for the World Cup Golden Boot again with six goals so far, Real Madrid midfielder Jude Bellingham has contributed four goals, including a brace in England's 3-2 win over Mexico in the round of 16.

Solbakken told reporters on Wednesday: 'I don't know if that's an advantage or not. Obviously some of our players have faced a number of English players before.'

He added: 'But maybe the two best players in the England squad don't even play in the Premier League; they play in Spain and Germany, so you could look at it from that angle too.'

Solbakken acknowledged that the thrilling win over Brazil in the round of 16, which took Norway to the quarter-finals for the first time in their history, gave his players a huge boost in confidence, but warned against over-optimism.

He said: 'I think that gave us more confidence, but each match has its own circumstances.'

He added: 'I don't think any team we've faced in this tournament has underestimated us. All teams do detailed analysis, lots of analysis, so there are no secrets. The same goes for this match.'

Earlier in the week, Solbakken had mentioned that some squad members were suffering from illness, but he confirmed that all players are now fit to play.

Solbakken praised Haaland's leadership qualities, describing him as 'a fantastic leader on and off the pitch.'

The Manchester City striker is also competing for the Golden Boot with seven goals, one behind Argentina's Lionel Messi.

Solbakken said: 'He is one of the sons of this group. He has been with these players since the U16, U17, and U18 teams.'

He added: 'Many of them have spent most of their careers together, so they are enjoying this journey to the fullest.' And about captain Martin Ødegaard, Solbakken explained that the Arsenal midfielder takes on greater responsibilities with his national team compared to his club role.

He said: 'He probably has a bit more freedom with Norway.'

He added: 'When he plays for Arsenal, he is surrounded by players with a similar level of experience, like Declan Rice and Martin Zubimendi, and they can share the responsibility with him. With the national team, it's natural that we place a bit more responsibility on him.'

He concluded: 'Alongside Erling, he has been one of our best players for many years, and a great leader, even in periods when the circumstances were tougher than they are now.'