Kasper Schmeichel withdraws from Denmark's crucial World Cup playoff matches

[p]For the first time since 2018, [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/denmark/0KUdxQVi/"]Denmark[/a] will be without [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/schmeichel-kasper/WM5fllIl/"]Kasper Schmeichel[/a] in a major international match.[/p][p]The goalkeeper, who has been sidelined with illness and injury in recent weeks, will not be available for Brian Riemer's squad when Denmark takes part in the World Cup playoffs at the end of March.[/p][p][b]"A year ago, I broke my shoulder against [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/portugal/WvJrjFVN/"]Portugal[/a], but stayed on the field and played on because we didn't have any more substitutions. It has caused a lot of after-effects, which have been hard to live with – and play with. But in the last few months, my shoulder has taken a turn for the worse, and it has really caused problems for me. When we played the Europa League against Stuttgart a few weeks ago, I landed on the wrong shoulder for their first goal and smashed something again."[/b][/p][p]"I have done everything I could to get ready ever since. I have had various treatments, injections, and blockades, and unfortunately, that hasn't made it any better. On the contrary, a nerve was hit during an injection, and that also made me sick", says Schmeichel to TV2 Sport.[/p][p]Kasper Schmeichel, who has 120 international caps to his name, was on the bench in a friendly against [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/northern-ireland/lQADNSWu/"]Northern Ireland[/a] last June.[/p][p]In the match against Northern Ireland, it was Chelsea's Filip Jogensen who guarded the posts and got his first international cap, and there is every indication that it will be either him or Mads Hermansen from West Ham who will step in in Schmeichel's absence.[/p][p]On 26 March, Denmark will take on North Macedonia in Copenhagen. The winner of that match will face either the Czech Republic or the [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/ireland/Gfyqk1aG/"]Republic of Ireland[/a] in the playoff final for a ticket to the World Cup.[/p]