Jordan Henderson has refused to rule out a shock return in the World Cup semi-finals after his freak arm break in the celebrations of England’s win over Mexico.
Henderson, an unused substitute in the 3-2 last-16 victory at Estadio Azteca, slipped when attempting to leap over an advertising board after the match and landed awkwardly, with medics urgently rushing over to his aid.
His concerned England team-mates gathered around him as he was treated, with Henderson given oxygen before being stretchered away.
The 36-year-old has since undergone successful surgery on his left forearm which was left “completely smashed” according to his father, and was believed to be unequivocally ruled out for the tournament even though he returned to the England squad in Kansas City rather than going home.
However, he was surprisingly included in England’s squad for their quarter-final with Norway – and while he won’t be expected to feature off the bench, Henderson has opened the door to a stunning comeback to action for a potential semi-final clash.
“It’s alright, not my finest hour, main job was to go there and win,” Henderson said, reflecting on the freak injury.
“That’s the main thing. A tough couple of days, as soon as I came back, the lads, a great medical team, the doctors and surgeons were amazing, delighted to be part of the squad again today.
“I think it’s the same thing we showed, the resilience and character, a lot of obstacles to overcome, a lot of very good players, the best version of ourselves, I’m confident we can go through.
“It’s a challenge [to stop Erling Haaland], but they’ve got a lot of top players, they’re a top team. We’ll cross that bridge [playing in a semi-final or final] when we come to it.”
Fifa’s regulations allow players to wear protective equipment, such as a cast, as long as it is not dangerous, meaning it needs to be made of a soft, lightweight padded material to be permitted.
The Brentford midfielder was out on the pitch helping his team-mates warm up in Miami, sporting the white cast on his left arm.
Henderson was not expected to play a significant role on the pitch for England during this World Cup, with his experience instead making him more valuable as a dressing room figure. It was therefore not much of a surprise that he rejoined the England camp, resuming his supportive role.
He nevertheless did feature for the Three Lions off the bench against Panama to become the first ever England player to play at four World Cups, and it now seems another appearance is not completely out of the question.
