After the victory against Germany yesterday, Sweden will play a directly decisive match against Norway in the European Handball Championship.

Sweden must win the match to be able to advance to the semifinals.

But this morning came heavy news for the Swedish team.

Goalkeeper Andreas Palicka and Felix Claar have tested positive for covid-19 and miss the fateful match.

- First of all, you get sad for their sake, it's incredibly heavy to lose them so late in the tournament when we got into it so well.

All thoughts to them, says Max Darj.

- That's what's terrible about this.

It feels like someone always falls away and you feel for them.

There are two world players and not being allowed to play these matches is tough.

That's what they train every day for, so it hurts in the heart, says Jim Gottfridsson.

Max Darj tested positive for covid-19 earlier during the European Championships and was quarantined in his hotel room for ten days.

He knows what Palicka and Claar are going through now.

- Somehow you know how to think and there is nothing you can say to make them feel better, so they need a few hours to digest it, he says.

What was it like to be quarantined?

- It was exciting.

It was boring sometimes but also an experience that makes you stronger.

Then it was nice to have Daniel Pettersson with us who also tested positive.

We shared a room, so we helped each other and had nice conversations.

We were sad and happy together but both were fully vaccinated and did not get so sick.

"Is probably 70-30 in favor of Norway now"

Sweden now loses two of the team's most important players to the most important match of the European Championship tournament.

- There are two world players who are now jumping off the stick in this championship.

If it was 50-50 before, it is probably 70-30 in Norway's advantage now, because there are two such good players that we lose.

These are big setbacks, says Jim Gottfridsson.

What will be important against Norway?

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They are incredibly good on counterattacks and we can dampen that if we are good in our attacking game and reduce our mistakes.

Defense and goalkeeping play become most important.

If we get started, the rest will start as well.

- It will be as always.

Defense and goalkeeping game that has looked great now in recent matches.

Then want to get paid better for our fine defensive game and get better in the attacking game and not offer them any counterattacks, says Darj.