Jordan Henderson was among the first England players to sprint onto the pitch the moment the final whistle sounded. Having featured for only a handful of minutes throughout this tournament — despite picking up two bookings — he has nonetheless left his mark at his fourth World Cup.
Now there are fears he may have played his last part in the competition, following what has been reported as a wrist injury. In typical England fashion, the players serenaded their supporters and leapt over the advertising hoardings behind the goal to belt out Oasis anthem Wonderwall.
However, when Henderson was returning to the pitch, he appeared to lose his grip on the boards and tumbled to the ground, clearly in considerable agony as he lay motionless on the turf. It was initially unclear what had occurred, as several England players gathered together in what appeared to be part of the celebrations.
It soon became apparent that Henderson was in a serious condition, and by chance, the incident was inadvertently caught on camera in the moments following the Wonderwall singalong. Dan Burn was the first to rush to his stricken team-mate’s aid, and thankfully medical assistance arrived shortly afterwards.
Henderson is set to remain in Mexico City with a member of England’s medical team on Monday while the rest of the squad return to Kansas City. Manager Thomas Tuchel has confirmed it remains uncertain at this stage whether Henderson will require any surgical procedure.
He said: “He injured his wrist, he’s gone to hospital it’s quite a serious injury. It doesn’t fit with the night. I don’t know if there will be a procedure.”
Captain Harry Kane had initially offered an optimistic assessment of Henderson’s condition, saying: ” Jordan [Henderson] just fell over there, I think he’s okay, just something to do with his arm.” However, team-mate Jude Bellingham subsequently sparked concern by admitting: “He’s in a bit bother but our medical team have it under control.”
England will now rest up and prepare for Erling Haaland‘s imperious Norway in Miami. A victory against the Nordic Nation will see the Three Lions through to just their second World Cup semi-final since 1990.