Eriksen in good spirits after medical incident in Odense
Denmark national team doctor Morten Boesen confirms the 34-year-old regained consciousness and walked off the field, with his Implantable Cardioverter Defibrillator responding as expected during the match.
Denmark midfielder Christian Eriksen is in good spirits and expected to be discharged from hospital soon following a medical incident during a match against Ukraine in Odense. Denmark national team doctor Morten Boesen confirmed that the 34-year-old regained consciousness and was able to walk off the field after collapsing at the 65-minute mark. The game was abandoned shortly after the incident.
Boesen stated that Eriksen’s Implantable Cardioverter Defibrillator (ICD) responded correctly during the event. The device, which was fitted after the midfielder suffered a cardiac arrest during a Euro 2020 match against Finland in 2021, enabled him to resume his playing career with Brentford in 2022. He subsequently spent three years with Manchester United before joining Wolfsburg.
"I spoke with Christian this morning, and he is doing well. He is with his family and in good spirits," Boesen said. "The expectation is that he will be discharged soon and can return home." The doctor added that the pacemaker responded as it should during the match against Ukraine.
Eriksen, who has earned 151 caps for the Denmark national team, had previously expressed confidence in the safety provided by his ICD. Speaking to BBC Sport before his comeback in 2022, the Wolfsburg midfielder stated he saw no risk in continuing his career with the device. "I have an ICD, if anything would happen then I am safe," he said at the time.
Neither Denmark nor Ukraine qualified for the World Cup, which begins on Thursday. The specific medical diagnosis for the recent collapse has not been disclosed, though the team doctor confirmed the device functioned as intended during the incident.
