Ex-Real Madrid star praises Hjulmand, hails Sporting captain | OneFootball

Morten Hjulmand stayed on the bench in Denmark's last game against Belarus (2-2), which postponed Brian Riemer's team's qualification for the World Cup. Thomas Gravesen calls for changes in the Nordic team and says that Sporting's midfielder should be a starter in the team.

"Hjulmand is an important player and we have to point out that Eriksen is no longer sufficient at this level. We cannot play with a midfielder who is not capable of winning balls, who cannot carry the ball to spaces where his teammates are. He plays as a number 10 with three midfielders behind him and still drops back, wasting long ball plays," said the former Real Madrid player, in statements to 'Tipsbladet'.

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

With the draw, Denmark and Scotland enter the last round with 11 and 10 points, respectively, with a meeting scheduled in Glasgow, which will decide who qualifies directly for the World Cup. Sporting's midfielder is expected to return to the starting lineup.

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

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