Eriksen dreams of a final with United

The intelligent playmaker suffered a serious ankle injury in January and he only returned to action at the weekend, appearing as a second-half substitute in the 2-0 win over Everton. 

While Eriksen’s return needs to be carefully managed in terms of minutes, he is delighted to be back and excited to play his part in the squad’s fight for success in all competitions. 

Erik ten Hag’s men are currently fourth in the Premier League, preparing for a Europa League quarter-final against Sevilla and looking forward to an Emirates FA Cup semi-final with Brighton. 

As Christian says in our new UTD Podcast, released at 17:00 BST, he had a clear message to his team-mates throughout his lengthy spell on the sidelines.

“I said to the guys, to my team-mates, just keep winning games so there are more games for me when I come back,” says Eriksen to co-hosts Helen Evans, Sam Homewood and David May. 

“It’s also been part of the mindset - the more games they win, the more cups they continue in, the more games and possibilities of playing a final I will have. For me, this is a good time to come back, to be ready for the last push.”

Eriksen played in every round of the Carabao Cup campaign before he missed the final, so did he receive a winners’ medal along with the rest of his team-mates?

“I haven’t got it yet, no,” admits a smiling Christian in our UTD Podcast. “I’m supposed to get one. I will get a medal at some point. It’s different though when you don't play in the final. 

“Obviously [those who played] get it on the pitch, celebrate and do their stuff. And there's me limping around in a boot, trying not to do too much. But still you want to be a part of it.”

When revisiting the moment of his injury, sustained via a questionable challenge by Reading’s Andy Carroll, Eriksen admits he knew straightaway that it could be something serious.

“Yeah, I felt something,” he says. “Normally, if you roll your ankle, you feel a bit of awareness and I actually stood up and I felt fine, I felt pretty stable.

“But then I did feel like something else. I felt my calf and higher up. I thought I might just skip it and then we scored so it was like perfect. We're winning 1-0 against Reading so let’s call it a day and hopefully it’s nothing serious. But then it was.”

UTD Podcast co-host Maysie then asks if Christian is the type of person to want revenge, but the Denmark international is quick to play that down and is typically graceful in his response. 

“No, I’m not that type of person,” he laughs. “Maybe in '99 it was different but no, not that. I don’t have that [little black book], no.

“For me, it was more the thing I was surprised he didn’t get a yellow card or anything like that. 'What is this?' But, no, I'm not in that way [of getting revenge].”

Christian Eriksen's UTD Podcast will be released in the United App at 17:00 BST today (Tuesday).