Injured midfielder Chrysostomos Michail will miss Cyprus' European Championship qualifier at home against Norway, coach Angelos Anastasiades said Wednesday.
Anastasiades said Michail was injured during training on Monday. However, the coach was hopeful that the veteran APOEL Nicosia player will be available for the Oct. 12 away match against Denmark.
Anastasiades said his team will try to force mistakes from a highly disciplined Norwegian side while trying to minimize its own costly miscues.
''We recognize the importance of this match and we're going into it with a mindset that will allow us to tackle it with the seriousness that's needed,'' he told a news conference.
Cyprus has lost all five previous encounters against Norway, but is hopeful of a positive result Friday after its surprising 4-4 away draw against Portugal on Sept. 3.
Cyprus captain Ioannis Okkas said the players must put aside their elation over the Portugal result to keep a level head against Norway, which goes into the match having won both its previous qualifiers.
''It's good to dream, but we have to do so cautiously so we won't trip and fall,'' he said.
Okkas, 33, will notch his 100th cap with the national squad in Friday's match - the first Cypriot to reach the milestone.
