Denmark icon Thomas Gravesen has questioned manager Kasper Hjulmand’s decision to leave Celtic star Matt O’Riley out of his squad for Euro 2024.
The former midfielder has been speaking to Tipsbladet about the Denmark squad after Hjulmand announced his squad for the tournament in Germany today.
The Denmark manager has gone with a squad familiar to him, selecting players who’ve featured regularly under him and particularly at other tournaments.
That means a surprising omission for Celtic star O’Riley, who, despite performing playing a key role in Celtic winning the title again this season and being considered one of the rising stars in Brendan Rodgers squad, has not been able to convince his national side.
His performances at Celtic Park have been overlooked for some time, with the Celtic man only managing two appearances for his country since making his debut in November 2023.
Instead, he will be watching on from home as the likes of Christian Eriksen continue in the squad in his place.
That’s something Gravesen cannot work out, questioning why a player who has been so good for the Hoops continues to be overlooked.
“I notice that Kasper Hjulmand does not deviate from his concept and his way of selecting players,” he said.
“He has again selected players who are not in shape, do not have rhythm and do not play on a daily basis. Hjulmand has selected the players he trusts, and then we are back to the same song as we usually do.
“There are players I would much rather see in the national team than some of the players who have been injured or haven’t played at all.
“We have a player who has helped win the championship in Scotland and we have a player who has dominated the Super League. I am of course talking about Matt O’Riley and Nicolai Vallys. Why aren’t they there? The two deserved a chance, but Kasper Hjulmand won’t give it to them.”
