Iceland (ISL)

Will mastermind Aron Palmarsson be fit (enough) for the EHF EURO 2022? This is the main question for Icelandic handball, after the superstar was injured twice since his transfer to Danish side Aalborg last summer.

Iceland already had to replace Palmarsson at the IHF Men’s World Championship 2021 in Egypt and finished only in 20th position. Two years ago, at the EHF EURO 2020 – when Gudjon Valur Sigurdsson played his last major event – Iceland finished eleventh, a little better than at the two previous final tournaments, when they finished 13th both times.

Coach Gudmundur Gudmundsson – who steered Iceland to their biggest successes in his first stint in the job, silver at the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games and bronze at EHF EURO 2010 in Austria – can still count on some highly decorated players.

In particularly outstanding form is right back Ómar Ingi Magnusson, who was top scorer in the Bundesliga, EHF European League winner and IHF Super Globe winner with SC Magdeburg, all in 2021. But Magnusson has not had such an impact in the national team so far, as he was ruled out by injuries in 2020 and 2021, playing only four matches at the World Championship.

Besides Palmarsson, Gudmundsson also has at his disposal some highly experienced players such as goalkeeper Björgvin Pall Gustavsson and left wing Bjarki Mar Elisson, but did not nominate line player Kari Kristjansson.

In the EHF EURO 2022 qualification, Iceland finished second in their group below Portugal.