Højbjerg forced to abandon Denmark's match against Wales

Olympique de Marseille midfielder Pierre-Émile Højbjerg left the match between Denmark and Wales after ten minutes, adding his name to the list of Marseille players injured during the international break.

Match events in Cardiff

Højbjerg, 31 years old, started for Denmark on Sunday evening at the Cardiff Stadium. After only ten minutes on the pitch, he was substituted for Andreas Skov Olsen. The exit was prompted by muscle pain felt at the time of the substitution.

The exact reasons for the discomfort and the length of any possible unavailability remain unknown. According to reports, the player left the field due to injury, but no precise diagnosis has been released yet.

Consequences for Olympique de Marseille

This alert comes amid a series of misfortunes for Olympique de Marseille during the international break. Before Højbjerg, Derek Cornelius (Canada), Amine Gouiri and Himad Abdelli (Algeria) as well as Tadjidine Mmadi (France U20) had already experienced physical problems.

The Marseille staff now has to wait for the first medical examinations to establish a prognosis. A muscle discomfort could justify caution, even though the severity of the injury has not yet been assessed.

The incident comes as Højbjerg's future at Olympique de Marseille was recently called into question. The club continues its search for midfield reinforcements, notably with an attempt to sign Lucas Da Cunha, with no direct link to the Danish player's situation.

For Denmark, the premature exit of its experienced midfielder is bad news. Olympique de Marseille, for its part, sees one of its potential pillars absent, which adds to the already long list of unavailable players.

While awaiting an initial medical verdict, the international break leaves its mark on the Olympian ranks, who hope for a swift return of Højbjerg to stabilise their midfield.