'Eriksen 'doing well' and expected to leave the hospital'

Denmark's Christian Eriksen, left, in action with Ukraine's Mykola Matviyenko during an international football game, in Odense, Denmark. (AP)

ODENSE, Denmark, June 8 (AP): Christian Eriksen is "in good spirits” and expected to leave the hospital soon after collapsing on the field again while playing for Denmark, the national team's physician said Monday.

The 34-year-old Eriksen, who had a pacemaker fitted to support his heart after suffering a cardiac arrest during a European Championship match in 2021, clutched his chest with both hands in an off-the-ball action in the 65th minute of Denmark’s international friendly against Ukraine in Odense, Denmark, on Sunday.

After dropping to the ground, Eriksen received medical attention before walking off the field by himself, the Danish soccer federation said after the match. The midfielder underwent more tests at Odense University Hospital.

In an update provided by the federation on Monday morning, Denmark team physician Morten Boesen said: "I spoke with Christian this morning, and he is doing well.

"He is with his family and is in good spirits. The expectation is that he will be discharged soon and can return home.”

Boesen said in the statement that the federation is "taking good care of the players and staff and remains in regular contact with them.”

In a post on Facebook late Sunday, Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen wrote she was "sending my warmest thoughts to Christian Eriksen and to all those around him who are affected,” adding that she had been relieved to hear an update on his condition after the initial shock of his latest health incident.

The game was abandoned with no further play following Eriksen's collapse after the referee conferred with staff and players from both teams.

Eriksen was fitted with an implantable cardioverter defibrillator in the months after suffering his cardiac arrest during Denmark’s group game against Finland in the European Championship five years ago.

An ICD is described by the British Heart Foundation as a "small electrical device that can treat people with dangerously abnormal heart rhythms." The device is put under the skin in the chest, near the collarbone, the foundation said, and can give electrical pulses to help the heart beat normally if it notices an abnormal heart rhythm.