Injury setbacks are a dreaded part of football, especially when a key player is entering a major tournament such as the World Cup in Qatar. Thomas Delaney, the Sevilla midfielder, faced a turbulent start to his international stint with Denmark and a challenging period ahead that would keep him sidelined through 2023.
Delaney’s first appearance for Denmark in the World Cup campaign was abruptly halted by physical trouble. During the opening moments of his side’s Group D clash against Tunisia, the 31-year-old felt something give in his right leg. He tried to continue but soon signaled for help and ultimately left the field with teammates and medical staff attending to him on the bench. Ice was applied to the affected area as the on-field concern shifted to his knee, raising immediate concerns about his fitness for the remainder of the tournament and beyond.
What happened to Delaney and how long might he be out?
On Wednesday, November 23, the Denmark national team released a medical update confirming a knee issue. The report indicated a grade 2 sprain of the medial collateral ligament (MCL) in his right knee, a significant injury that typically requires careful management and a structured rehabilitation plan. The update also noted that Delaney had already spent ten days working on his recovery in Seville, with an estimated downtime of around eight weeks required just to regain basic functional capacity, followed by a progressive return to full training and competitive match fitness.
For Sevilla, the diagnosis signaled a long halt for one of their most reliable midfielders. The club communicated through its own channels that the injury occurred in the Denmark-Tunisia encounter and outlined the expected timeline, reinforcing that Delaney would be unavailable for a substantial stretch. This kind of setback not only disrupts a club’s plans but also places pressure on the player to regain confidence and timing after an ACL-free but knee-involved recovery path.
Which matches would he miss with Denmark and Sevilla?
With the documented grade 2 MCL sprain, Delaney faced a future where competitive action would be off the table for the initial part of the 2022 World Cup and well into the new year. The prognosis implied no play again during the dubiously packed Qatar tournament and extended through the early weeks of 2023. The consequence was a miss on Denmark’s remaining World Cup fixtures and a substantial portion of Sevilla’s campaign. If Sevilla advanced, the timetable could also affect potential cup ties and early European fixtures, potentially delaying a return to the field until the second half of the season. In the Europa League, there was a chance to return in the late stages of the group phase or early knockout rounds, depending on Sevilla’s progress and PSV Eindhoven’s status, but the immediate outlook remained cautious and conservative for the midfielder’s long-term welfare.
For fans and analysts, Delaney’s absence also underscored a broader truth in football: a tournament as demanding as the World Cup tests not just talent but resilience and medical planning. The Danish squad would need to adapt without a player who had been a staple in their engine room, and Sevilla would navigate the rest of the season without one of their experienced leaders in midfield. The situation highlighted the delicate balance clubs strike between nurturing young talent and managing veteran performers who carry heavier loads in both league and European competition.
In the end, the record remained clear: Delaney would be sidelined through a substantial portion of the 2023 calendar year as rehabilitation progressed, and his return would depend on a careful progression through medical milestones, conditioning work, and on-pitch readiness tests. The football world watched closely as updates from Denmark and Sevilla painted a cautious but hopeful path back to full fitness, with the player expected to participate in staged sessions and gradual reintroduction to international duty and club action. The resolution of such an injury always carries a degree of uncertainty, but the focus remained on steady recovery and safe reintegration into competitive football. (Goal)