Christensen withdraws from Denmark: 'He almost burst into tears'

Christensen ruled out of Denmark's upcoming matches against Portugal and Norway to continue recovery from injury at Barcelona.

Andreas Christensen has withdrawn from Denmark's squad for upcoming matches against Portugal and Norway to focus on his rehabilitation at Barcelona. The defender has struggled with injuries throughout the past season and missed significant time last year. He made his return to action against Atlético Madrid on Sunday but is not yet ready to rejoin the national team.

Denmark manager Brian Riemer confirmed Christensen's decision, saying the player was emotional about missing the matches. "Andreas is passionate about the Danish national team," Riemer told Danish media. "I had someone on the phone who almost burst into tears because he's so frustrated and angry about this.

But the situation is that he's in a recovery process that we can't manage at the national team level. He's doing this with his physiotherapist and club." Riemer added that Christensen hopes to return for Denmark in March.