Kaptein Fantastisk (Maren Mjelde interview)

Norway captain Maren Mjelde talks to She Kicks about the injury that nearly cost her a World Cup and the season that rescued it. She first felt the pelvic inflammation in April 2018, assumed it was overuse and played through it until late September, when the pain made walking difficult and no one could tell her when she would return. That uncertainty, she says, was the hardest part. She set two goals: to play against Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League and to be as fit as possible for France. She managed both, scoring late in Paris to take Chelsea into the semi-finals. Mjelde also discusses winning the Algarve Cup at the tenth attempt, Norway’s quiet progress since Euro 2017, Karina Saevik as one to watch, and Norway’s ski-sweater-inspired kit.