Bendtner a doubt for Danes with groin injury

Striker Nicklas Bendtner is a doubt for Denmark's final Group E match in the World Cup finals. The Danes have to beat Japan to ensure progression to the knockout rounds of the competition.

The groin injury has been plaguing Bendtner for awhile now, stretching back to almost the entire domestic season, and this has forced him to only train on alternate days, and even then, separately from the rest of the Danish squad.

When Bendtner did play for his country in South Africa though, he pulled back a one goal deficit for the Danes.

Fellow Group E contenders Japan however, need only to draw to ensure progression, having a better goal difference than the Danes.

Head coach Morten Olsen said: "You have followed Nicklas's programme, he is quite alright.

"By necessity he does not train every other day and every time he plays we have to wait to see what the reaction is. There is always a doubt with an injury like that so we have to wait and see.

"We have our problems with injuries but I will be very disappointed if we do not go through.

"I said before the tournament that Japan was one of the teams that could surprise people who know nothing about Asian football.

"They fight for each other and the team. You saw the Dutch team, with all the quality that they have, they had many problems against Japan.

"But my team can perform better than we have done so far and that is what we will need to do."

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