Jordan Henderson was one of the first England players to sprint onto the pitch at the final whistle. Although he played just a few minutes throughout the tournament, he left his mark on his fourth World Cup despite earning two spots.
There is now concern that he may have played his last role in the tournament as it is reported to be a wrist injury. In typical English fashion, the players serenaded the supporters and leapt over the billboard behind the goal to belt out Oasis’ anthem ‘Wonderwall’.
However, when Henderson returned to the field, he appeared to have lost his grip on the boards and rolled to the ground, lying motionless on the grass, clearly in considerable pain. It was initially unclear what had happened as several England players had gathered for what appeared to be part of a celebration.
It soon became clear that Henderson was in serious condition, and the incident happened to be caught on camera shortly after the Wonderwall singalong. Dan Byrne was the first to rush to the aid of his injured teammate and thankfully medical help arrived shortly thereafter.
Henderson will remain in Mexico City with members of England’s medical team on Monday, while the rest of the squad will return to Kansas City. Manager Thomas Tuchel admitted it remains unclear at this stage whether Henderson will require surgery.
The player said, “I injured my wrist and went to the hospital, but it’s a pretty serious injury. It’s not fit for this night. I don’t know if I’ll have surgery or not.”
Captain Harry Kane initially gave an optimistic assessment of Henderson’s condition, saying: “Jordan (Henderson) just fell down there. I think he’s OK. It’s just something wrong with his arm.” However, teammate Jude Bellingham later raised concerns by admitting: “He’s in a bit of trouble but our medical team is keeping him under control.”
England will now rest and prepare for Erling Haaland’s intimidating Norway in Miami. A victory over the Nordic nation would secure the Three Lions a place in the World Cup semi-finals for the second time since 1990.
