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Danish national coach Kasper Hjulmand will not field players in the second group match against the Red Devils on Thursday who do not feel ready to play football again after the drama with Christian Eriksen.
Vincent Van GenechtenSource: BELGIAN
Tuesday, June 15, 2021 at 12:01 pm
“It’s too early to say whether every player will be mentally prepared to play on Thursday,” he told a press conference at the Danish base camp in Helsingor. “And it’s OK if a player indicates that he is emotionally not ready to play against Belgium.”
After the latest positive reports about Eriksen’s health, Hjulmand himself is looking forward to the next game with confidence. “The last 24 hours have been good for the group. We know Christian is doing well. And we are back on the training field. There were smiles on the faces of the players.”
Eriksen collapsed on Saturday evening during Denmark’s first European Championship match against Finland (0-1). He was resuscitated on the pitch for minutes but thankfully regained consciousness when he was taken to hospital from the Copenhagen stadium. Meanwhile, the 29-year-old Inter Milan midfielder and teammate of Romelu Lukaku has said he is “feeling good, given the circumstances”.
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During the press chat, Hjulmand reiterated his criticism of UEFA because his team had only two options on Saturday, either finish the match or return the next day for the sequel. “I had the impression that we and the players were under pressure. There is no doubt that we were given two options by UEFA. I was there. I know. There were only two options. That was very, very clear.”
Danish players Kasper Schmeichel and Martin Braithwaite also previously criticized UEFA, which has come under fire for its handling of the drama and for allegedly implying both teams’ desire to continue playing.
“I don’t think it was the right decision. This was not the right way to lead,” said Hjulmand. “But hopefully this is a lesson for the future.”
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