Ekdal received a hard shot in the head after only ten minutes of play at the Friends arena. The Burnley defender still played the half, but at the break the decision was made that it had to be enough.
— I felt drowsy and simply couldn’t play. But I’m fine. It was a decision on their part (national team management), based on how I felt at the time. I don’t want to stand here and blame something, but I absolutely could have played on, says Hjalmar Ekdal.
He doesn’t feel any major concern after the match either.
— I don’t know what happened. It feels like the shot hit the head. We have done a couple of tests and it looks good, says Ekdal.
Another disappointment was that he didn’t get to play with his big brother this time either. Just like against Belgium last Friday, Albin Ekdal was missing due to a cold.
The Ekdal brothers have still not played together in their careers.
— It didn’t turn out that way, but there will be more chances. We must keep fighting. It’s sad that he went and got sick, but nothing we can do about it. It’s bad timing, says Hjalmar Ekdal.