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A fractured bone has forced a Wolverhampton Wanderers star to withdraw from international duty.
Wolves striker Jorgen Strand Larsen will no longer join the Norway squad for their FIFA World Cup qualifiers against Moldova and Israel due to injury.
The 25-year-old was the hero for Wanderers on Saturday, scoring twice in a crucial 2-1 victory over relegation rivals Southampton, though he wasn’t fully fit.
Wolves manager Vitor Pereira had revealed after the 1-1 draw with Everton the previous week that Strand Larsen had fractured a bone in his hand.
The striker was still feeling the effects of the injury during the Southampton match.
“I must defend Larsen,” Pereira said after the Everton draw. “Two days before the match, he broke a bone in his hand. He played with protection.
For a striker, not having your hands fully available is a big problem. He played through it and gave his best.”
Thankfully for Wolves, Strand Larsen was able to play through the injury against Southampton, wearing a gold-colored bandage for support.
His brace was crucial in securing the three points at St Mary’s, bringing his Premier League goal tally to nine.
Norway had hoped to call on Strand Larsen for their upcoming matches during the March international break, but the striker will now remain with Wolves to focus on recovery.
The decision was made to prevent the risk of aggravating his injury from playing too many matches in quick succession, and Norway were understanding of the situation.
Strand Larsen Responds to Goal Drought
Before his brace against Southampton, Strand Larsen hadn’t scored since the start of the year.
Injuries had hindered his ability to build momentum, despite playing nine matches for Wolves in 2025 without finding the net.
Questions were starting to arise, but Strand Larsen silenced his critics with a clinical display.
Remarkably, he still holds the highest shots-on-target ratio of any striker in the Premier League this season, registering 24 on target from 37 attempts.
While many forwards might worry during a goal drought, Strand Larsen remained focused on the team’s success rather than his personal statistics. “I’m not thinking too much about the numbers,” he told Wolves TV.
“I had a great start to the season, scoring seven in the first six months. As a striker, your moments will come back.
The last few months have been tough, and I struggled to find my form, but today, one goal can change everything.”
“I always give everything for the team, and I try to show that every time. It always helps when a striker scores because it boosts your confidence. I feel like myself again, both before and after the game. I’m just being myself.”
