IS THIS GENERATION EX?
Time is running out for Denmark
IT could be Denmark’s last hurrah for this generation.
The Danes have a squad laced with quality and experience – from Christian Eriksen to Kasper Schmeichel, as well as Tottenham midfield enforcer Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg and Brentford’s Mathias Jensen and Christian Norgaard.
Manchester United midfielder Eriksen is 30, Schmeichel 36, while skipper Simon Kjaer is 33 and has just returned from a serious knee injury.
But their assistant coach, former Celtic midfielder Morten Wieghorst, believes recent experiences have given them an extra edge for this tournament.
Denmark reached the Euros semi-final last year and England only just squeezed past them after extra-time.
They are in Group D with France, Australia and tomorrow’s opening opponents Tunisia and, with plenty of Premier League pedigree in the squad, the Danes should be confident of reaching the knockout stage.
Wieghorst said: “We’ve made a lot of progress. When you reach major finals, play in big tournaments, last year it was the Euros, it means you gain big experience.
“A lot of those players who played last year are still here and they gain knowledge and experience, and it will be particularly helpful to take into this competition.
“It’s not just for the players either, but the coaches and the staff – and everyone involved. We feel better-placed now.”
Denmark have tried to make improvements in all areas, bringing many of the scientific changes players enjoy at club level into the international set-up.
Wieghorst (above) said: “We’ve looked at a lot of things to improve and work upon, both on the pitch and off the pitch.
“On the pitch, I can’t elaborate on that because it would be wrong. But it could be tactical tweaks and turns, and our approach against opponents. It could be how we monitor our players, every detail from sleep patterns, the sort of thing that they have at their clubs – and we want to do the same for them here.
“We want to take advantage and be well prepared. Dehydration in this climate is important and we look at everything in terms of injuries and recovery.”
Wieghorst also insists they are ready for the “different” challenge of Qatar and specifically to face Tunisia.
He added: “Normally for a tournament like this, we would prepare for longer and we would have more warm-up games against the style of teams we could play, against an African team for example.
“But it’s different. We have been together for a shorter space of time and yet we have experience and we are ready for the challenge.
“Tunisia have some very good, technically-gifted players who are dangerous. They qualified for the Arab Cup last year in Qatar. They’ve shown they can compete with the best of teams in their region.
“They will be a tough opponent for us, overall technically gifted and they play with a lot of passion, too.”