Barcelona star leaves his national team in tears: I'm not ready
Fears of a fresh setback
Andreas Christensen returned to action last Sunday against Atletico Madrid, coming on for the final 30 minutes at the Metropolitano. The La Liga outing marked his comeback from a muscular injury to the rectus femoris of his left thigh, a problem that had sidelined him for more than a month and a half.
The 30-year-old Danish defender refused to rush his return. Repeated injury troubles have plagued his recent seasons and eaten into his game time, so he opted out of his national team's squad for the current international break. He did not want to, according to the Denmark coach.
Brian Riemer, Denmark's head coach, said in comments reported by the newspaper "Tipsbladet" over the past hours: "He saw that he wasn't ready, and so he had to apologise for not joining up. Given the physical condition he is currently going through, he doesn't feel ready to play international matches."
Riemer stressed that the call was Christensen's alone, and that the player made it with a heavy heart. "He loves the Denmark national team," the coach explained. "His was the voice of a man on the verge of tears when I spoke to him by phone yesterday evening, because he feels very frustrated and upset by this situation."
The decision may have come from the Barcelona defender, but Riemer understands it. He wants Christensen eased back gradually to protect his wellbeing. "Even if he could sit on the bench and play for five minutes, he still has a long way to go before he becomes capable of playing 90 minutes and competing at the highest level," he said.
Riemer still hopes to call on Christensen next time out. A lengthy injury record, he insists, does not shut the door. "We are equally keen for him to be ready during March," he said.
Frustration because of injuries
Barcelona's veteran defender signed a two-year contract extension only a few months ago. He has already missed seven matches this season through injury.
Last season proved even crueller. Christensen sat out 36 matches for club and country, laid low by a string of injuries and physical problems that included a cruciate ligament tear.
Go back to 2024-2025 and the picture is bleaker still. Problems with his Achilles tendon and a pathological muscular injury ruled him out of 50 matches.
