Christian Eriksen has returned home to be with his family and is "doing well" following his collapse during Sunday evening's match against Ukraine. The Denmark midfielder confirmed via Instagram that "this was a different situation from what happened in 2021."
Details of the Incident
Broadcast images captured Eriksen grasping his chest in the 65th minute of the encounter, with the game immediately halted and abandoned shortly thereafter amid concern for the former Manchester United and Spurs player. Eriksen was equipped with an implantable cardioverter-defibrillator device to enable him to pursue his playing career following a cardiac arrest at Euro 2020 during a 1-0 loss to Finland.
The 34-year-old player sparked renewed alarm on Sunday, however, the Danish Football Union subsequently confirmed he was "conscious and doing well," while the national team physician offered another positive update on Monday, reports the Daily Star.
Medical and Team Reactions
"I spoke with Christian this morning, and he is doing well. He is with his family and in good spirits," said Morten Boesen in a statement via DBU. "We are taking good care of the players and staff and remain in regular contact with them."
With Denmark leading 2-1 at Nature Energy Park, Eriksen felt unwell and briefly lost consciousness. Boesen, who was also in attendance with the national side when Eriksen collapsed five years previously, verified the midfielder was at hospital undergoing additional examinations. Denmark's manager Brian Riemer revealed that Eriksen recognised his team-mates after the incident.
"Christian Eriksen waved to his team-mates as he left the pitch," Riemer told journalists. "A few minutes before he fell ill, he had had a tussle with Ruslan Malinovskyi and I thought that was why he looked so distressed, but I was wrong. From that moment on, neither I nor the players on the pitch could have carried on with the match."
Background and Recovery
Eriksen required cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) at Parken Stadium following his collapse during Euro 2020, subsequently having a pacemaker fitted days afterwards. At that point, Eriksen was contracted to Inter Milan, but Serie A rules prevent players from competing in the division with a pacemaker, prompting the midfielder to restart his career at Brentford in 2022 before a three-year spell at Manchester United. He moved to Wolfsburg last summer.
An Instagram post shared by Christian Eriksen stated: "As you can probably imagine, receiving a shock from my ICD has had a major impact on both me and my family, but I want to reassure everyone that this was a different situation from what happened in 2021. I am feeling good, and my recovery has already started."
"In addition to being grateful for the support and assistance of all the players and the medical team on the field, I am also incredibly grateful to the doctors who have cared for me and my heart over the years. Thanks to their expertise, my ICD did exactly what it was designed to do: protect me when I needed it."
"For now, my focus is on recovering, spending time with my family, going on vacation, and playing football with my children."
