England manager Thomas Tuchel is sweating over the fitness of midfielder Jordan Henderson, who suffered a “really bad” freak injury during the celebrations of his side’s victory over Mexico.
After a dramatic 3–2 win in the round of 16, England’s wild celebrations soon turned to concern as Henderson, an unused substitute who was shown a yellow card for protesting a decision from the referee, vaulted over an advertising board and landed awkwardly on his wrist.
The Brentford midfielder ultimately left the pitch on a stretcher and did not travel back with the rest of the England squad on Monday.
“Jordan just fell over and injured his wrist,” Tuchel revealed. “It looks really bad.
“It’s a quite serious injury and it doesn’t fit to the evening that Jordan is now not with us. The doctor told me he is in hospital.”
Midfielder Jude Bellingham also confirmed Henderson was “in a bit of bother,” but urged fans to wait for a formal diagnosis from the England’s Football Association before jumping to conclusions.
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Is Jordan Henderson’s World Cup Over?
As Bellingham points out, the absence of a diagnosis means it is impossible to know whether Henderson will play again this summer, but Tuchel’s comments about the injury paint a concerning picture.
We are at the stage of the World Cup in which any injury is effectively going to end a player’s tournament, given there is less than two weeks until the final. Anything other than a knock is going to get alarm bells ringing.
If Henderson has avoided any damage, he will likely be free to return to action quickly—England faces Norway in the quarterfinal on Saturday—but all the signs suggest that will not be the case.
As noted by The Athletic, Henderson is set to undergo surgery on the injury, bringing an abrupt end to his World Cup.
A broken wrist can take anywhere up to three months to heal fully, meaning not only is Henderson’s involvement at the World Cup in danger, but so is his start to the new Premier League season with Brentford.
Losing Henderson, famed for his locker-room influence, would be a massive blow to Tuchel and his squad from a leadership perspective, but the reality is the former Liverpool captain is towards the bottom of the midfield pecking order when it comes to game time.
Henderson has seen just six minutes of action so far, coming off the bench for the dying embers against Panama. Declan Rice and Elliot Anderson are Tuchel’s preferred starters, meaning Henderson has seen his minutes limited. Manchester United’s Kobbie Mainoo, the other natural central midfielder in the group, is yet come off the bench at all.
The attack-minded trio of Jude Bellingham, Eberechi Eze and Morgan Rogers have all offered cover for Rice and Anderson as well, so any extended absence for Henderson may not be sorely felt.
