Christian Eriksen has been recalled to the Denmark squad for friendlies against Netherlands and Serbia. The Denmark midfielder has been added to the squad for the first time since suffering a heart attack at the Euro 2020 match against Finland in Copenhagen. But now since he is fully fit and has been playing for his new club Brentford for a while, he has been included in the national side.
Denmark coach Kasper Hjulmand included the midfielder in the 23-man squad that will play against the Netherlands and Serbia in friendly internationals at the end of this month. He also hoped for Eriksen to play a pivotal role for his country against both nations. However, he also said that he did not expect Eriksen to play right now.
"I expect Christian to go in and be a deciding factor for our team," Hjulmand told Danish newspaper Ekstra Bladet. "I did not expect him to play right now, realistically I thought he would be ready by the summer. However, Christian is with the squad because he is the best in that position."
Demark 23-man squad:
KASPER SCHMEICHEL
FREDERIK RØNNOW
DANIEL IVERSEN
RASMUS NISSEN
ALEXANDER BAH
JOACHIM ANDERSEN VICTOR NELSSON
ANDREAS CHRISTENSEN JANNIK VESTERGAARD
JOAKIM MAHLE
CHRISTIAN ERIKSEN
PHILIP BILLING
CHRISTIAN NØRGAARD
PIERRE EMILE HØJBJERG
MATHIAS JENSEN
THOMAS DELANEY JESPER LINDSTRØ
JACOB BRUUN LARSEN
KASPER DOLBERG
ANDREAS CORNELIUS
JONAS WIND
ANDREAS SKOV OLSEN
YUSSUF YURARY
Eriksen underwent heart surgery
Christian Eriksen had collapsed on the field during Denmark's match against Finland and left everyone worried. He was assisted off the field and was taken to a hospital where he was operated on, and a pacemaker was placed in his heart. Eriksen, who has scored 36 goals in 109 internationals, was fitted with a special heart-starting device known as an Implantable Cardioverter Defibrillator (ICD) device, which is not permitted in the Italian topflight.
He returned to action for his new club Brentford who included Eriksen in their squad on a free transfer. He was lauded by a stadium full of spectators when he took the field against Norwich City in the Premier League on February 26. Denmark's coach also lauded the athlete and said he looks in perfect shape. "Christian is in a really good physical shape," said Hjulmand. "I saw him against Burnley on Saturday where he was the best player out there. He is a player that thinks faster than most."