Nicklas Bendtner

Denmark manager Age Hareide has stressed that he won’t contact Mauricio Pochettino regarding the fitness of Christian Eriksen as he knows what the answer would be. The Tottenham Hotspur midfielder has been sidelined for the past few matches with an abdominal injury and he remains a potential doubt for the upcoming internationals for Danes.

Speaking to reporters, Hareide said that he would not want to rush Eriksen back to national team duty and a return for the Ireland game may depend on whether there is an improvement on his situation. However, the Denmark boss has no plans of communicating with Pochettino regarding the same as he knows the response would largely be negative.

“Eriksen has an inflammation in a stomach muscle. If he gets better, it may be that he first joins the team in Ireland right before the match. We must see how it goes. If I call Pochettino and ask for Christian Eriksen, then the answer will be no. Therefore, I have to wait and see,” he is quoted as saying by ESPN FC.

“ Eriksen has transformed into a key performer for club and country over the years but his absence would unquestionably affect Denmark more, “given they do not possess another playmaker of the same quality. Eriksen was the difference during Denmark’s “ opening Nations League game , “against Wales where he scored both of the goals and it remains to be seen where they could find the spark, should the attacker remain sidelined during the international break.

Denmark are currently holding the advantage in their Nations League group with a 100 percent record after one match played but things could quickly turn out of their favour, should they drop points against Ireland and Wales. Among the three teams, only Wales have played two matches in which they have won one and lost one.