Stockholm (AFP) – Danish striker Nicklas Bendtner has been warned he will not be going to the World Cup in Russia if he fails to recover in time from a thigh injury suffered while playing for Rosenborg in the Norwegian league.
Bendtner limped off with a thigh injury on Sunday and on Monday was warned by Denmark coach Age Hareide that only fit players would be travelling to the finals.
“If a player is injured at the moment we leave for the World Cup, he’s not coming to Russia,” Hareide told a press conference.
“He (Bendtner) is being examined,” Hareide said. “It’s never good to fight the clock. We do not have much time.”
Bendtner hobbled off the pitch in in tears with 20 minutes remaining as Rosenborg lost to Brann.
The 30-year-old former Arsenal, Juventus and Wolfsburg player has appeared 79 times for his country since making his debut at the age of 18 in 2006.
Bendtner has scored 30 goals for the Danes, including one at their last World Cup appearance, in 2010.
Denmark play warm-up games against Sweden in Stockholm on June 2 and Mexico in Copenhagen on June 9.
Featured in Group C, Denmark kick off their campaign against Peru on June 16, then face Australia and France.
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