ODENSE, Denmark — Christian Eriksen is “in good spirits” and expected to leave the hospital soon after collapsing on the field again playing for Denmark, the national team’s physician said Monday.
The 34-year-old Eriksen clutched his chest with both hands in an off-the-ball action before dropping to the ground in the 65th minute of Denmark´s international friendly against Ukraine in Odense, Denmark, on Sunday.
The midfielder walked off the field by himself after being attended by medical staff, the Danish soccer federation said after the match, and underwent more tests in Odense University Hospital.
In an update provided by the federation on Monday morning, Denmark team physician Morten Boesen said according to AP: “I spoke with Christian this morning, and he is doing well.
“He is with his family and is in good spirits. The expectation is that he will be discharged soon and can return home.”
Boesen said in the statement that the federation is “taking good care of the players and staff and remain in regular contact with them.”
Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen posted on Facebook late Sunday that she was “sending my warmest thoughts to Christian Eriksen and to all those around him who are affected,” adding that she had been relieved to hear an update on his condition after the initial shock of his latest health incident.
The game was abandoned with no further play following Eriksen’s collapse after the referee conferred with staff and players from both teams.
Eriksen was fitted with an implantable cardioverter defibrillator in the months after suffering a cardiac arrest during Denmark´s opening group game in the European Championship in 2021.
He returned to playing less than a year after that incident, but had to leave Italy, where he’d been with Inter Milan. Italian health regulations prohibited players from playing with the implantable cardioverter defibrillator.
Eriksen first returned to action in England with Brentford before three years at Manchester United, which he left as a free agent last year. His current team is Wolfsburg in Germany, where he has a contract through the 2026-27 season. The team wished him a swift recovery Sunday.
Denmark did not qualify for the 2026 World Cup beginning this week in the United States, Canada and Mexico.
