Christian Eriksen’s lack of game time in the Premier League means there should be ‘absolutely no place’ for the Manchester United midfielder in the starting XI of the Denmark national team.
That is according to Thomas Gravesen, the former Everton, Real Madrid and Celtic enforcer expressing his growing concerns about a man who’s role in the Danish side is likely to spark plenty of debate as this summer’s European Championships roll into view.
No only is Christian Eriksen lacking in match sharpness after a couple of months spent largely on the Manchester United bench, his impact on the international stage has arguably been on the wane for a while now.
Gravesen even believes that Denmark tend to perform better without the nation’s favourite son, a team without the ageing and increasingly ponderous 32-year-old more vibrant and energetic in the centre of the park.
Christian Eriksen struggling for starts at Manchester United
“There is absolutely no place for him in the Danish national team right now with the form he is in and the way he is used at United,” Gravesen tells Discovery Plus.
“He doesn’t play. He’s not in match fitness, and he’s bad when he gets the chance. For me, there is no place for Christian Eriksen in the starting line-up of the Danish national team right now.
“Doesn’t the Danish national team function better when Christian Eriksen is not involved? I think so. With Christian Eriksen, the game is too one-dimensional. And, when he is not there, it works (better) with the two engines in there, with Thomas Delaney and Pierre Emile Hojbjerg.
“I feel that Christian Eriksen is so far from his top form that he does not fit into the Danish national team right now.”
Is Eriksen on the way out under Ineos?
Having played the full 90 minutes in every one of the last 11 games he has been available for, Eriksen remains one of the first names on Kasper Hjulmand’s team sheet.
It would be take some cojones for the former Mainz boss to suddenly drop such a legendary player from his XI with only a few months to go until Denmark take on England at Euro 2024.
Eriksen has played only 37 minutes in Manchester United’s last five Premier League games, however, and is one of a number of big-name veterans – including Raphael Varane and Wednesday night’s matchwinner Casemiro – likely to be moved on as Ineos look to usher in a new and vibrant era at Old Trafford.
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