EPL

Eriksen in 'perfect' condition but Brentford debut could be weeks away

By Sports Desk February 03, 2022

Christian Eriksen is in "perfect" condition but Thomas Frank thinks he will only be ready to make his Brentford debut in "a few weeks".

Brentford signed Eriksen on a deal until the end of the season following his release from Inter in December, which came after he suffered a cardiac arrest while representing Denmark at Euro 2020 last year.

The 29-year-old was fitted with an implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD) device, which made him ineligible for professional football in Italy.

Eriksen has been training with his former club Ajax and Frank has no concerns about his fitness, though he will not join up with his team-mates until after Saturday's FA Cup trip to Everton.

"It is a little bit of a miracle of course that first and foremost he is healthy but also that he wants and feels ready to play football again," said the Brentford boss, who was self-isolating following a positive COVID-19 test.

"I would say no [concerns]. Of course, I am not a doctor but all the specialists who have seen him, met him and tested him know that everything is perfect. I know Christian and his family would never take the slightest risk in that sense that something could happen when he is training or playing a football match.

"For me it is down to the mental part of it and getting back into rhythm, playing football at a top, top level and managing it, which I expect will be fine.

"Christian will arrive on Sunday and train with the team on Monday. That will be his first training session. It is hard to say when he is available. I will know a lot more after Monday.

"I hope weeks, a few weeks, but I don't know. I am much more clever when I have seen him train."

Frank heralded Eriksen as the "greatest ever signing" for Brentford, who have slipped down the Premier League table after suffering six defeats in their past seven outings.

"We got it over the line so that was fantastic. It’s potentially the greatest ever signing for the club. I spoke to a fan last night and he mentioned a guy from 70 years ago that was at the same level. I think this is still the biggest signing," said Frank.

"The story behind it… I think it’s going to be an unbelievable day, the day Christian steps back on to the pitch. All of you guys have seen him for years forming as one of the best midfielders in the Premier League and what happened to him in June was crazy.

"It was a shock for all of us, so to see him out there on the pitch soon, it's going to be a big day."

Related items

  • Tuchel bemoans lack of focus as Bayern slump to final-day defeat Tuchel bemoans lack of focus as Bayern slump to final-day defeat

    Departing Bayern Munich coach Thomas Tuchel was unhappy with his team's lack of focus following their 4-2 loss at Hoffenheim on Saturday.

    Bayern threw away a two-goal lead, condemning them to a third-place finish behind unbeaten Bayern Leverkusen and Stuttgart

    After failing to win the Bundesliga title for a 12th consecutive season, Tuchel's side will also go without domestic or European silverware for the first time in more than a decade.

    "We started really well, but then we had a string of individual mistakes," Tuchel said in a short press conference.

    The coach is leaving Bayern after just over a year in charge after the club announced his departure in February. There had been talks to potentially reverse that decision last week, but no agreement was reached.

    "In the second half we played well for 15 minutes, but then it was again a series of individual mistakes and loss of possession," Tuchel said. "We gave away a two-goal lead for a completely unnecessary and bitter defeat."

    Despite a string of injury absences, Bayern were 2-0 up by the sixth minute but Hoffenheim scored four times, including an Andrej Kramaric hat-trick in the second half to turn the game around.

    "It happens far too often, like that. It happened in Stuttgart where we conceded two late goals [for a 3-1 defeat]. In Heidenheim, the same [for a 3-2 loss]. Here the same. It just happens too often," Tuchel added.

    "I have an explanation for that, but it is not for the public."

    Bayern's Aleksandar Pavlovic, who is part of Germany's preliminary Euro 2024 squad, went off injured early in the match and will undergo further tests.

    "He twisted his ankle. We will have to wait and see what the checks show," Tuchel said.

  • Man City will come back fighting after WSL title loss - Taylor Man City will come back fighting after WSL title loss - Taylor

    Gareth Taylor says that Manchester City will "come back fighting" after losing out on the Women’s Super League title on the final day.

    City beat Aston Villa 2-1 thanks to goals from Mary Fowler and Lauren Hemp on Saturday, but ultimately fell just short, missing out to Chelsea on goal difference.

    Emma Hayes led the Blues to a fifth consecutive WSL title with a 6-0 thrashing of Manchester United at Old Trafford, having made up their inferior goal difference with an equally impressive 8-0 win over Bristol City two weeks ago. 

    Taylor has reflected on a "mix of emotions" after narrowly missing out on being champions.

    Speaking to BBC Sport after the game, he said: "I feel really proud of the team's performance. The mad thing is we could have maybe scored double figures today quite easily. That's the difference.

    "To win 18 games in the season and still come up short is not easy but we have. It's been a big push from the team, we've worked incredibly hard, and we'll come back fighting."

    When asked what lessons City can take from this season, Taylor added: "We need to improve in all areas. We have to have potentially better options from the sidelines. I think that's really key.

    "I'm so enthusiastic about the way we played today. A lot of the stuff we did was really good. That's what inspires me to get up in the morning and fight for next season's title."

    Goalkeeper Khiara Keating became the youngest-ever Golden Glove winner in her breakout season, as the 19-year-old kept nine clean sheets in 22 league games and conceded just 15 goals in total.

    While disappointed about Saturday’s outcome, Keating looked back on the highlights of her season.

    She said: "Obviously we are disappointed. We wanted to go out and win a trophy today. We knew what we had to do, and we didn't quite get it done.

    "Hopefully next season in the Champions League we can show what we're about and go and win some trophies.

    "From a personal point of view, my breakout season had a lot to prove at the start of the season, everyone was kind of.. Not doubting but wondering what I'd be like. I hope I've shown everyone what I can do.

    "Gaz [Taylor] put his faith in me to go and play how I play and that is what I needed to go out there and do what I did this season."

  • Union Berlin survive Bundesliga relegation after stoppage-time winner against Freiburg Union Berlin survive Bundesliga relegation after stoppage-time winner against Freiburg

    Union Berlin scored a stoppage-time winner against Freiburg to secure their Bundesliga safety, despite missing two penalties on a dramatic final day.

    Marco Grote's side, who participated in the Champions League during the first half of this season under former coach Urs Fischer, occupied the relegation play-off spot heading into the final day of the campaign.

    Just three points clear of 17th-place Koln, who travelled to Heidenheim, they welcomed Freiburg to Stadion An der Alten Forsterei, knowing a defeat could spell the end of their five-year stay in the German top flight.

    Mainz, two points clear of Union in 15th, moved themselves out of the relegation picture with a commanding 3-1 win at Wolfsburg.

    That meant one of Union, Bochum or Koln would join already relegated Darmstadt in the second tier. One would have to settle for a play-off place, while the other would survive.

    Koln went down 4-1 at Heidenheim, while Bochum's defeat at Werder Bremen by the same scoreline meant Union could leapfrog them with victory over Freiburg.

    The hosts, for whom Josip Juranovic missed a first-half penalty, broke the deadlock in the 68th minute through Benedict Hollerbach.

    However, they looked set for a relegation play-off when Ritsu Doan equalised for the visitors with five minutes remaining, before substitute Kevin Volland struck the post with his spot-kick early in stoppage time.

    Nevertheless, there was to be a dramatic late twist as Janik Haberer struck in the 92nd minute to catapult Union out of the bottom three and to safety in 15th place.

© 2023 SportsMaxTV All Rights Reserved.