Leeds United defender's Premier League replacement blow leads to shock absence

Leeds United defender Rasmus Kristensen will not feature for Denmark for the first time in 13 internationals after being left out of their March European Championships qualifying squad.
By Graham Smyth
Published 14th Mar 2023, 16:56 BST
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Denmark will welcome Finland and travel to Kazakhstan but boss Kasper Hjulmand has gone with Atalanta’s 34-times capped Joakim Mæhle and uncapped Copenhagen 19-year-old Elias Jelert as his right-back options.

Kristensen has been a mainstay of the national team, playing in each of their last dozen games and starting nine of those. At the World Cup in Qatar Kristensen started all three of his country’s games against Tunisia, France and Australia, albeit coming off at half-time in the latter.

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Losing his place in the Leeds line-up has likely come at a cost on the international stage for the 25-year-old, who with Luke Ayling recovering from surgery, began the Premier League campaign as Jesse Marsch’s first-choice at right-back. The Dane started 13 of the first 15 league games but since the turn of the year has lost out to Ayling in the battle for that position and has remained on the bench as an unused substitute in nine of Leeds’ last 10 top flight outings. Ayling, by comparison, has played every minute of those 10 fixtures and in the absence of Liam Cooper has worn the captain’s armband. Ayling did struggle up against Brighton’s quick, tricky Kaoru Mitoma on Saturday but his performances have generally been solid enough to not give Kristensen a sniff.

INTERNATIONAL BLOW - Rasmus Kristensen has been an unused substitute in nine of Leeds United's last 10 games, leading to an absence from the Denmark squad for their March Euro qualifiers. Pic: GettyINTERNATIONAL BLOW - Rasmus Kristensen has been an unused substitute in nine of Leeds United's last 10 games, leading to an absence from the Denmark squad for their March Euro qualifiers. Pic: Getty
INTERNATIONAL BLOW - Rasmus Kristensen has been an unused substitute in nine of Leeds United's last 10 games, leading to an absence from the Denmark squad for their March Euro qualifiers. Pic: Getty

Meanwhile Leeds’ third-choice right-back, Cody Drameh, went out on loan to Championship promotion hopefuls Luton Town in January after struggling for minutes with his parent club in the first half of the season. Drameh has since started seven of the nine games for which he has been available. His Elland Road future will be up for debate once again this summer, with his contract due to expire in June 2004, although the division Leeds find themselves in for the 2023/24 campaign may have a big say in the picture at right-back.

Kristensen was signed in the summer from RB Salzburg in the Austrian Bundesliga for around £10m, having played there under Marsch. He has been joined at Elland Road by fellow former Salzburg men Brenden Aaronson and Max Wober, although they no longer play for Marsch who was sacked in February and eventually replaced by Javi Gracia.

Related topics:DenmarkLuke AylingPremier League