Denmark head coach Kasper Hjulmand must work around the absence of an integral midfield cog for Saturday's Euro 2024 last-16 battle with hosts Germany in Dortmund.

Earning a date with Die Mannschaft thanks to their second-placed finish in Group C, the Red and Whites have lost Sporting Lisbon midfielder Morten Hjulmand to a one-game ban for an accumulation of yellow cards.

The Denmark squad is in good shape otherwise, though, and boss Hjulmand has several options ready and waiting to replace his namesake, including Brentford pair Mathias Jensen and Christian Norgaard.

However, as Thomas Delaney came off the bench against Serbia after recovering from an illness, the Anderlecht man is ostensibly first in line to replace his suspended colleague alongside Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg.

The pair will operate just behind Christian Eriksen, who is now his nation's record male appearance-maker with 133 caps, thanks to Simon Kjaer - on 132 - not playing a single minute at the Euros so far.

Eriksen will link up with Manchester United teammate Rasmus Hojlund once more, and likely Jonas Wind too, although Andreas Skov Olsen, Kasper Dolberg and Yussuf Poulsen are also waiting in the wings.

Hjulmand dropped Victor Kristiansen for the draw with Serbia and may see no need to alter the wing-back system of Alexander Bah and Joakim Maehle, while also retaining the three-man wall of Joachim Andersen, Andreas Christensen and Jannik Vestergaard in front of Kasper Schmeichel.

Denmark possible starting lineup:
Schmeichel; Andersen, Christensen, Vestergaard; Bah, Hojbjerg, Delaney, Maehle; Eriksen; Hojlund, Wind

> Click here to see how Germany could line up for this clash

Written by
Ben Knapton