Mueez Ajao
– Manchester United midfielder Christian Eriksen has been named in Denmark’s preliminary squad for the Fifa World Cup in Qatar.
– Eriksen, 30, collapsed during their Euro 2020 game against Finland last year and had life-saving treatment on the pitch.
– Denmark have named 21 players of the 26-man squad and will reveal the final five following the last round of European fixtures.
Also Read: Denmark unveil protest shirt for 2022 World Cup in Qatar
– They take on Tunisia on 22 November.
– The final squad must be delivered to Fifa by 13 November, before the tournament starts on 20 November.
– “Many things can happen,” said Denmark manager Kasper Hjulmand. “It’s unsolvable, but it’s the right way to do it – there are two games left for many of our players, and that can easily change things.”
– “There are 10 or 12 players still in contention for the last five spots.”
– Following Eriksen’s cardiac arrest at the European Championship, the former Tottenham man had an implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD) device – a type of pacemaker – fitted.
– In January, he said it was “a goal, a dream” to play for his country again in front of their home crowd at Parken Stadium and at this year’s World Cup.
– Eriksen joined Brentford on a six-month deal at the start of the year after agreeing to end his contract with Inter Milan prematurely as players with an ICD cannot play in Serie A.
– He made his international return in March and scored two minutes after coming on for Denmark in a friendly defeat by the Netherlands, before completing a move to United in the summer on a free transfer.
– Other top-flight players given a place in the squad include Spurs midfielder Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg, Leeds United defender Rasmus Kristensen and Eriksen’s ex-Brentford team-mate Mathias Jensen.
– After facing Tunisia in their opening Group D game, Denmark will play defending champions France on 26 November and Australia on 30 November.
Denmark preliminary squad:
Goalkeepers: Kasper Schmeichel (Nice), Oliver Christensen (Hertha Berlin).
Defenders: Simon Kjaer (AC Milan), Joachim Andersen (Crystal Palace), Joakim Maehle (Atalanta), Andreas Christensen (Barcelona), Rasmus Kristensen (Leeds United), Jens Stryger Larsen (Trabzonspor), Victor Nelsson (Galatasaray), Daniel Wass (Brondby).
Midfielders: Thomas Delaney (Sevilla), Mathias Jensen (Brentford), Christian Eriksen (Manchester United), Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg (Tottenham).
Forwards: Andreas Skov Olsen (Club Bruges), Jesper Lindstrom (Eintracht Frankfurt), Andreas Cornelius (Copenhagen), Martin Braithwaite (Espanyol), Kasper Dolberg (Sevilla), Mikkel Damsgaard (Brentford), Jonas Wind (VfL Wolfsburg).
De første spillere til VM-truppen er fundet 🇩🇰
Kasper Hjulmand har udtaget 21 ud af de 26 spillere, der skal kæmpe for de rød-hvide farver til VM-slutrunden 2022.#ForDanmark pic.twitter.com/XVvPYNcZjn
— Fodboldlandsholdene 🇩🇰 (@dbulandshold) November 7, 2022
