Monday 3 September 2018 19:47, UK
Wales defender James Chester has welcomed the possibility that UEFA Nations League opponents Denmark could be without Christian Eriksen and company in Aarhus on Sunday.
The Danes are involved in an extraordinary row between their Player Association (Spillerne) and Football Association (DBU) which threatens both this fixture and Denmark's participation in the 2020 European Championship.
The long-running dispute is over a new commercial rights agreement for the squad, and the DBU has threatened to select players from Denmark's lower leagues rather than the likes of Tottenham midfielder Eriksen, Chelsea defender Andreas Christensen and Leicester goalkeeper Kasper Schmeichel.
"It would certainly make it an easier fixture without Eriksen," Chester said.
"He is one of the best players in the Premier League. He showed that at the World Cup."
Denmark are due to play a friendly in Slovakia on Wednesday but at present do not have a playing squad to fulfil the fixture. Manager Age Hareide and assistant Jon Dahl Tomasson are said to be "working from home" and will not be in charge for the game in Trnava.
The squad were due to meet in Copenhagen on Monday to discuss the situation after Spillerne issued a strongly-worded statement that the DBU had walked out of talks over the weekend.
"All is not well over there at the moment, but it's nothing to do with us," Chester added.
"We'll be in Denmark on Sunday regardless of what squad they pick, and looking to win the game whoever's playing."
Before the trip to Denmark, Wales play host to neighbours Ireland in their Nations League opener in Cardiff on Thursday, and Chester expects the encounter to be a spiky affair.
He told Sky Sports News: "Whenever you play a team from the British Isles or the Republic of Ireland you know a lot of players and you know there is always going to be that bit of bite and bit of tension in the fixture.
"But we'd certainly like to put the last result right and get ourselves off to a good start."
