Rooney warns Henderson's wrist injury could be 'real loss' for England at tournament

Jordan Henderson will miss the remainder of England’s tournament campaign as a player after injuring his wrist falling awkwardly from the advertising hoardings following the Three Lions’ victory over Mexico at the Azteca Stadium. The former Liverpool captain was given oxygen by England’s medical staff before being stretchered off and has since stayed in Mexico to undergo surgery.

Despite the setback, Henderson is expected to remain with the squad in a non-playing capacity rather than fly home. Wayne Rooney, speaking after the match, said the midfielder’s sidelining could sting England where it hurts most — in the dressing room.

“I was thinking about this before when he got picked for the squad, he’s such a powerful voice in the dressing room,” Rooney said. “I personally would have gone with someone like Adam Wharton to help with his development. But he’s such an important voice and Thomas Tuchel believed he can have a real impact with the squad. It will be a loss certainly and I hope he gets well soon because it looks like a nasty injury.”

England manager Thomas Tuchel confirmed the severity of the injury in his post-match comments. “I’m sad because Jordan injured his wrist. It’s quite serious. He’s in hospital. It doesn’t fit with the rest of the evening. I don’t know the procedure,” the German coach said.

Jude Bellingham also acknowledged the situation, though offered limited detail. “He is in a bit of bother, but our medical team have everything under control,” Bellingham said. “I’m not best to give too much detail as I do not know much going on, but everyone was there to support him.”

The FA are expected to provide a further update on Henderson’s condition in the coming days as England turn their attention to their next fixture against Norway. Tuchel’s side already know their potential route to the final — a win over Norway would set up a last-four tie against one of Switzerland, Colombia, Argentina, or Egypt.

Discipline will be a key concern heading into the Norway match. Marc Guehi, Nico O’Reilly, and Declan Rice are all one yellow card away from a suspension that would rule them out of a potential semi-final.