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Denmark's international friendly against Ukraine was abandoned on Sunday after Christian Eriksen collapsed on the field.
The hosts were 2-1 up in Odense when Eriksen appeared to hold his chest and collapsed to the ground in the 65th minute of the game.
That immediately sparked grave fears for the 34-year-old's wellbeing after he suffered cardiac arrest during Denmark's Euro 2020 match against Finland in June 2021.
However, the early indications from the incident at Odense Isstadion were thankfully encouraging.
Christian Eriksen collapse: Midfielder 'conscious' after pacemaker 'responded as it should'
A statement from the Danish Football Union (DBU) said Eriksen was conscious and "doing well under the circumstances", before confirming the game against Ukraine had been called off.
Players from both teams formed a ring around Eriksen as he received treatment before he as able to walk to an ambulance under medical supervision.
Denmark's national team doctor Morten Boesen stated that the pacemaker Eriksen had fitted after his cardiac arrest five years ago "responded as it should" and that the player would undergo further tests in hospital.
"Christian is doing well and walked off the pitch by himself. As I see it, the pacemaker responded as it should," Boesen said.
"He was briefly unconscious, but regained consciousness very quickly, and we were quickly in contact with him.
"He will now undergo further examinations at the hospital to determine what caused the incident. We are in ongoing contact with him and the doctors at the hospital.
"But Christian is doing well and he asked me to send his regards to all the players and tell them that he was okay."
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What happened to Christian Eriksen at Euro 2020?
A footballer collapsing on the field would prompt concern in any circumstances, but worries over Eriksen's condition were particularly pronounced after the events of June 12, 2021.
During Denmark's opening match of Euro 2020, Eriksen collapsed on the pitch at the Parken Stadium in Copenhagen. He received emergency treatment on the pitch for 13 minutes. Eriksen was given CPR and a defibrillator, at which point it was determined he had suffered cardiac arrest. He was taken to hospital where he was stabilised and eventually had surgery, before being discharged on June 18.
After three months of recuperation, he began training with a local Danish side in an attempt to return to playing football, before moving to Premier League club Brentford in January 2022
He then joined Manchester United in August of that year and returned to the Denmark national team, playing for his country at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar. The Scandinavian nation failed to qualify this time around after they lost in the final of UEFA playoff path D to Czechia on penalties.
How could Christian Eriksen play after heart attack?
Eriksen was fitted with an implantable cardioverter-defibrillator, which is designed to prevent against future cardiac arrests. This was the device that Boesen credited for working effectively when he collapsed during the Ukraine match.
After the incident at Euro 2021, Eriksen was forced to leave Inter Milan due to Serie A rules that stated players with pacemakers were unable to compete in the league. Premier League rules do not feature such a restriction.
Following his spells with Brentford and Manchester United, Eriksen joined Bundesliga club Wolfsburg.
Now aged 34 and, despite the overall positive outcome, retirement feels like a very possible outcome following his latest scare.
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