Froholdt on the bench, debate over Denmark’s midfield reignites | OneFootball

While in Portugal there is debate over Cristiano Ronaldo’s use as a substitute in the national team’s win over Norway, Denmark is closely monitoring Victor Froholdt’s situation. The midfielder went from starter to an option used only in the final three minutes against Wales, a match the Danes won 2-0 and which helped ease the mounting pressure.

On Thursday, Denmark face Portugal, but the debate in the country remains focused on the midfield setup used against the Welsh. After the 3-2 defeat to Norway, Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg questioned how well he could play alongside Morten Hjulmand, the former Sporting player, arguing that the two have similar characteristics. The captain even suggested that one of them might have to start on the bench, although he later backtracked and apologized for his remarks.

Before the match against Wales, Brian Riemer had admitted that fielding Hojbjerg, Hjulmand and Froholdt together could “pose a challenge” because it would mean “having players with similar profiles.” The coach chose to keep Hojbjerg and Hjulmand in the starting eleven, left the FC Porto player among the substitutes and moved Damsgaard into more central areas, with Isaksen on the wing. Riemer explained the decision, rejecting the idea that it was a punishment or criticism of the Porto midfielder.

Despite the win over a theoretically less demanding opponent, the match did not dispel doubts about the balance in midfield. For a considerable number of Danish fans, the Hojbjerg-Hjulmand pairing still has not shown that it is the ideal solution. The discussion now is about how to make room for Froholdt in an area of the pitch already occupied by players of a similar profile.

Although Portugal is far away, Froholdt’s performances in the league have not gone unnoticed in Denmark. Last season, the midfielder started 32 of 34 matchdays, with six goals and six assists. With the Dane in the starting lineup, FC Porto recorded 27 wins and four draws, suffering their only two league defeats, against Casa Pia and Aves SAD, in the matches where Froholdt started on the bench. That form earned him the awards for Best Player and Best Young Player in the league.

The midfielder also responded positively after the head clash he suffered against Moreirense, an incident that left him unconscious and ruled him out of the matches against Manchester City and Casa Pia. On returning to the starting lineup, against Benfica, he scored the goal that put FC Porto ahead, his tenth for the Dragons. The performance reinforced the perception of a player capable of stepping up in decisive moments and in highly demanding matches.

His development is also reflected in market valuations. According to Transfermarkt, Froholdt is valued at 50 million euros, making him the second most valuable Danish footballer, behind only Rasmus Hojlund, Napoli’s forward, valued at 60 million in the most recent update.

CIES, meanwhile, assigned the FC Porto player a transfer value of 83.7 million euros, the highest among players competing outside Europe’s five major leagues. Although based on different criteria, the two estimates highlight the midfielder’s growing profile. It remains to be seen how he can turn this breakout spell at FC Porto into a more regular role with the Danish national team.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇵🇹 here.