Jordan Henderson is making a “rapid recovery” after breaking his arm while celebrating England’s 3-2 win over Mexico, manager Mark Guehi said. Henderson suffered significant pain when he slipped while climbing a billboard at Aztec Stadium.
When asked for an update on Henderson during an appearance on Lion’s Den, teammate Guehi said: “Hendo is a good guy. He’s in better shape than he was yesterday. It was obviously scary for him and his family and everyone else, but we’re just glad he’s on the road to a speedy recovery.”
The former Liverpool captain was an unused substitute in Sunday’s thrilling Round of 16 clash at the Aztec Stadium, in which Harry Kane converted a penalty just after the hour mark and Jude Bellingham scored a brace to give 10-man England a memorable win. In his post-match press conference, Three Lions manager Thomas admitted he was left with mixed emotions over Henderson’s injury.
“My feelings are very mixed,” the England manager said. “I’m proud of that mentality and attitude. The Round of 32 and Round of 16 are the moments in the tournament where you find your way to victory.
“We did it with pure spirit and heart. We overcame every obstacle that was thrown at us. I’m so proud of the spirit and determination of this team. It’s a very special night for us.”
“Obviously I’m exhausted and emotional, so I have mixed feelings, but I’m also sad because Jordan got hurt. He hurt his wrist. He’s in the hospital right now, so it’s a pretty serious injury.”
“It’s not appropriate for this night that Jordan isn’t with us right now. We don’t know what’s going on, we don’t know the protocols. We just went to press and the doctors said he’s in the hospital.”
England’s next challenge will be in the quarter-finals against Norway in Miami on Saturday night. The match will pit Guehi against fellow Manchester City player Erling Haaland. Erling Haaland scored twice against Brazil, ensuring his country’s place in the last eight.
Haaland has already found the back of the net seven times during the tournament, and Guehi admitted: “It’s going to be fun. I know he’ll be a challenge too, but like Nico said, it’s going to be a challenge.”
“I’m happy to see some familiar faces, and I want to do my best to win.”
City star O’Reilly added: “(Getting to the quarter-finals) is special and a great feeling. But there’s not much time to celebrate. We have another tough game ahead and it’s going to be tough for all the teams so we have to be ready.”
