The image of Jordan Henderson being carried from the Estadio Azteca on a stretcher, oxygen mask on his face, will haunt England’s World Cup campaign – and now manager Thomas Tuchel has issued a stark warning to every player: stop jumping over advertising hoardings.
The 36-year-old Brentford midfielder suffered a badly broken wrist after attempting to hurdle the hoardings to celebrate with fans following England’s 3-2 victory over Mexico. He landed awkwardly and was rushed to hospital in Mexico City, where he remained on Sunday evening while the rest of the squad flew back to their base in Kansas City.
“Jordan Henderson fractured his wrist celebrating England's World Cup win, likely ending his tournament.”
Tuchel told BBC One: "Jordan just fell over and injured his wrist. It looks really bad. It's a quite serious injury and it doesn't fit to the evening that Jordan is now not with us. The doctor told me he is in hospital."
Henderson is expected to undergo surgery, ruling him out for the rest of the tournament – and potentially ending his England career. With 90 caps, he is the only England men's player to have featured at four World Cups. Tuchel had selected him largely for his experience and leadership, despite widespread opposition.
But the veteran has refused to let the injury dampen his spirits. On Instagram, Henderson wrote: "A night to remember that’s for sure! What an incredible performance against all the different challenges. So proud to be a part of this special team. Thanks for all the support, another big one Saturday."
His teammates rallied. Vice-captain Declan Rice commented "Some man", Morgan Rogers wrote "What a guy", while Elliot Anderson and Djed Spence added heart emojis.
Defender Guehi told the FA’s Lions’ Den show: "Hendo's good, man. Hendo's in a better place than he was yesterday, and it was obviously scary for him and his family and for everyone else, but we're just glad that he's on the road to speedy recovery."
Tuchel is now set to instruct his players to avoid jumping over advertising hoardings to ensure there is no repeat. Whether Henderson will be with the squad for Saturday’s quarter-final against Norway remains unclear.