diff --git a/plugins/node/opentelemetry-plugin-express/src/express.ts b/plugins/node/opentelemetry-plugin-express/src/express.ts
index 3c95bbfb0b..2f5c136bb0 100644
--- a/plugins/node/opentelemetry-plugin-express/src/express.ts
+++ b/plugins/node/opentelemetry-plugin-express/src/express.ts
@@ -188,8 +188,11 @@ export class ExpressPlugin extends BasePlugin<typeof express> {
           ExpressLayerType.REQUEST_HANDLER
         ) {
           const parent = plugin._tracer.getCurrentSpan();
-          if (parent) {
-            const parentRoute = parent.name.split(' ')[1];
+          // eslint-disable-next-line @typescript-eslint/ban-ts-ignore
+          // @ts-ignore
+          const parentSpanName = parent && parent.name;
+          if (parent && parentSpanName) {
+            const parentRoute = parentSpanName.split(' ')[1];
             if (!route.includes(parentRoute)) {
               parent.updateName(`${req.method} ${route}`);
             }
diff --git a/plugins/node/opentelemetry-plugin-express/test/express.test.ts b/plugins/node/opentelemetry-plugin-express/test/express.test.ts
index 69c6692eff..8515e35df2 100644
--- a/plugins/node/opentelemetry-plugin-express/test/express.test.ts
+++ b/plugins/node/opentelemetry-plugin-express/test/express.test.ts
@@ -102,6 +102,7 @@ describe('Express Plugin', () => {
       await tracer.withSpan(rootSpan, async () => {
         await httpRequest.get(`http://localhost:${port}/toto/tata`);
         rootSpan.end();
+        // @ts-ignore
         assert.strictEqual(rootSpan.name, 'GET /toto/:id');
         assert.notStrictEqual(
           memoryExporter
@@ -240,7 +241,7 @@ describe('Express Plugin', () => {
       await tracer.withSpan(rootSpan, async () => {
         await httpRequest.get(`http://localhost:${port}/toto/tata`);
         rootSpan.end();
-
+        // @ts-ignore
         assert.strictEqual(rootSpan.name, 'GET /toto/:id');
 
         assert.deepStrictEqual(