Thomas Gravesen hails Sporting star: He's a key player | OneFootball

Denmark’s draw with Belarus (2-2) in Copenhagen last Saturday set off alarm bells. Thomas Gravesen, a former player for the Nordic national team, is calling for Morten Hjulmand to start in midfield in the next match, after he was left on the bench.

"Hjulmand is an important player and we have to point out that Eriksen is no longer enough at this level. We can’t play with a midfielder who isn’t able to win balls, who can’t carry the ball into spaces where his teammates are. He plays as a number 10 with three midfielders behind him and even so, he drops deep, wasting long-ball plays," said the former Real Madrid player in statements to ‘Tipsbladet’.

The former footballer continued his criticism: "At this moment, Eriksen has to play for a limited time until he regains his form. The coach has to be clear that Eriksen can no longer play these games." As a result, the team managed by Brian Riemer postponed direct qualification for the 2026 World Cup.

With the draw, Denmark and Scotland go into the final matchday with 11 and 10 points, respectively, and are set to meet in Glasgow, where it will be decided who qualifies directly for the World Cup. The Sporting midfielder is expected to return to the starting lineup.

This season, wearing the Sporting shirt, Morten Hjulmand – valued at 50 million euros – has played in 17 matches: 11 in Liga Portugal Betclic, four in the Champions League, one in the Portuguese Cup, and one in the Super Cup.

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