Southampton midfielder Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg has been excluded from Denmark’s 23-man squad for this summer’s World Cup, the national team’s Twitter account has confirmed.

The Saints star will not be included in the squad that jets off to Russia next month to take part in the illustrious competition.

Hojbjerg enjoyed an impressive season for Southampton on an individual basis as he stood out in what was a generally underwhelming campaign for the club.

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The former Bayern Munich protege had been named in Denmark’s provisional squad ahead of the World Cup but the national team manager Åge Hareide has decided to overlook him.

Hojbjerg is understood to have had a previously frosty relationship with his country’s manager and this is unlikely to change in the future, with the Saints midfielder now set to miss out on the World Cup.

The news will come as a blow for Hojbjerg, who will certainly feel hard done by given his exploits with Saints in the past season.