Christian Eriksen’s return to the Denmark team, nine months after suffering a cardiac arrest playing for his country, will be slightly delayed because he has Covid-19, the federation announced on Sunday.

“Unfortunately, Christian Eriksen has tested positive for coronavirus and will therefore not be with the men’s team on Monday,” the DBU said on Twitter.

“It is expected that he will be able to join the training camp during the week” before the two friendly matches against the Netherlands and Serbia on 26 and 29 March.

The midfielder suffered a cardiac arrest in Denmark’s opening game of the European Championships against Finland in Copenhagen last June.

He had to be resuscitated on the pitch, lying unconscious for several minutes as the stunned crowd and millions of TV viewers around the world watched on in horror.

Eriksen spent several days in hospital and had a pacemaker implanted to regulate his heartbeat.

Eriksen terminated his contract with Inter Milan by mutual consent in December as Italian league rules bar players with pacemakers.

He made his club comeback on 26 February for English Premier League side Brentford.

“We are looking forward to having him in the team and hope to have him for the exciting test matches against the Netherlands and Serbia,” coach Kasper Hjulmand was quoted as saying in the tweet.

Eriksen has 109 Danish caps and 36 international goals.

Denmark have qualified for the World Cup in Qatar at the end of the year. After Eriksen’s cardiac arrest Denmark reached the Euro semi-finals where they lost to England.