Eriksen closing in on return to action

LONDON • Danish midfielder Christian Eriksen is being patient as he edges closer to making his return to football after suffering a cardiac arrest last June, registering two assists in Brentford's 2-2 friendly draw with Scottish club Rangers on Monday.

Eriksen, who joined Brentford as a free agent last month, played nearly 80 minutes in a match behind closed doors, eight months after a cardiac arrest on the pitch during a European Championship match for Denmark.

"I have done a lot of running and a lot of tests, so the condition is good," the 30-year-old told BBC Sport when asked about his return earlier this month.

"But the football touch is something you get in games - to get there is still a few more weeks."

Eriksen floated in a corner that was headed in from close range by Zanka to put Brentford ahead.

Manchester United loanee Amad Diallo then scored twice to give Rangers a 2-1 lead, before Eriksen's free kick was turned in by Tristan Crama for the equaliser.

He also recorded an assist in a friendly against fifth-tier Southend United last week.

Eriksen's former club Inter Milan ended his contract in December as he is not allowed to play in the Italian Serie A because of his heart starter device, an implantable cardioverter-defibrillator.

The former Tottenham Hotspur player said earlier this month he is determined to prove he is still the same player he was before the incident and was not afraid to play with the implanted device.

He will be hoping to make his first Premier League appearance for Brentford when they host Newcastle on Saturday.

"At the moment we just take it day by day... it has been a long build-up," Eriksen added. "It feels like it is getting closer and I'm patient for the right timing."

Meanwhile, Diallo, who joined Rangers on loan last month, is making a bright start to his Ibrox career.

"You could see that he was a constant threat every single time he got on the ball and he got on the scoresheet," said Rangers star Joe Aribo after Diallo's debut against Ross County last month, when the 19-year-old scored in a 3-3 draw.

Rangers manager Giovanni van Bronckhorst added of the Ivorian: "You could see his quality."

REUTERS