The entire nation winced in unison. The Manchester United star targeted by exactly the sort of challenge which – with a tournament just days away – haunts the dreams of those taking to the field in any pre-tournament fine-tuner.
Had it been a little harder, the Red Devils favourite might have seen his Euro 2024 hopes go up in smoke.
Fortunately – and this has not often been the case for Manchester United‘s players over the last eight months or so – Lady Luck was on Rasmus Hojlund‘s side this time.
Picking himself up and dusting himself down after an ill-advised lunge from Norway’s Leo Ostigard, Hojlund was certainly fortunate to walk away unscathed as his Denmark side defeated their Scandinavian neighbours 3-1 in their final pre-tournament fixture.
Rasmus Hojlund avoids injury in Denmark win
“I got to tell Leo quietly that I think it’s fine. He says sorry to me, but I just tell him it’s fine,” says Hojlund, telling Bold that there were no hard feelings from himself towards the Napoli centre-back. “I have no problem with that.
“It was the others who wanted to defend me,” adds Man United’s number 11, his incensed Denmark team-mates rushing to protect their biggest goal threat.
“And that just shows how close we are here in the squad. Full respect to both my team-mates and Leo; he wants to go to the limit.
“(But) we are so close to something that is important. It would be a real pity to go out (of the Euros) with an injury.”
Kasper Hjulmand, Denmark’s head coach and the man who has put so much faith in 21-year-old Hojlund, was breathing a sigh of relief himself. Despite some mixed recent displays for the national team, the former Atalanta frontman was outscored only by Cristiano Ronaldo, Harry Kane and Kylian Mbappe in qualifying.
Hojlund, therefore, represents arguably Denmark’s best chance of replicating that semi-final run of 2021.
Manchester United ace is Denmark’s biggest hope
“I think it was Ostigard who hooked Rasmus from behind,” Hjulmand says.
“I don’t dare think about what I would have done if it had cost Rasmus an injury that could keep him out of the EC. I think it was mindless (from Ostigard).”
“I think he is excellent,” Hjulmand adds, backing his striker despite an eight month goalless drought on the international stage.
“It is clear that, if he had scored a single goal, you would all have thought he had a fantastic game. That’s how it is as a striker.
“He works hard, wears down the opponents and makes a huge effort. The goals will come.”