The former Arsenal midfielder John Jensen has answered a desperate SOS call to lead a Denmark team made up of unknown lower league and Futsal players for their matches on Wednesday against Slovakia and Wales on Sunday.

A dispute between the Danish Football Association (DBU) and the Denmark players over commercial image rights has escalated to the point where all the leading players, including Tottenham Hotspur’s Christian Eriksen, Chelsea’s Andreas Christensen and Leicester City’s Kasper Schmeichel, are refusing to sign a new agreement with the national team.

Manager Age Hareide has also been temporarily stood down by the DBU, who have instead been working to field an alternative team under the management of Jensen.

Players from the entire Danish Super League have been under pressure to show solidarity with the players’ union over a dispute that centres on the extent to which the DBU can use individual players in its own sponsorship and marketing campaigns.

It all means that players from the Danish second division and even Futsal league were in a squad that arrived in Slovakia on Tuesday. The squad was not confirmed until after it travelled.