Daily Mirror (Northern Ireland)
Wales will face the real deal
WALES will face the likes of Christian Eriksen and Kasper Schmeichel in their Nations League clash on Sunday after the Danish Football Association announced a temporary truce with its star players.
The Danes fell to a 3-0 friendly defeat in Slovakia on Wednesday after being forced to select a starting XI of futsal and Danish lower league players.
The visitors were left with a severely weakened team after a dispute between the Danish Football Association (DBU) and its players over commercial image rights.
But a short-term agreement has now been reached to prevent a similar situation unfolding against Wales.
“The players’ association and DBU today reached agreement on a deal that ensures that the men’s team can participate in the Nations League match in Aarhus against Wales on Sunday,” a DBU statement read on Thursday.
“The DBU and the Player Association have entered into a temporary agreement for DBU’S senior national team squad until September 30, 2018.
A host of part-timers took part in the riendly loss in Trnava, with manager Age Hareide also absent as John Jensen temporarily replaced him in the dugout.
Hareide will now be able to call on his usual players against Ryan Giggs’ Wales and DBU president Jesper Moller is pleased to have something in place.
“It is good for the national team and for everyone in Danish football that we can play the important Nations League match with the right national team and again focus on the sport,” he said in the statement.