Alexander Andersson was called up to the squad for the away match against GAIS this weekend but was not in the final match squad. The 15-year-old will finish elementary school before joining Djurgården's A-team full-time, according to the club. According to coach Jani Honkavaara, school ends sometime in June, after which Andersson will take a break and then join the A-team. Honkavaara added that it is lovely to have him training occasionally, as he provides valuable support during practice sessions.
Andersson's call-up came because Oskar Fallenius was sick and a question mark before kickoff, according to Honkavaara. The plan was for Fallenius not to start against GAIS. Additionally, Jeppe Okkels also had problems before the match, having slept poorly, and the team did not want to take any risks with him, Honkavaara explained. These absences created a need for additional players in the squad.
Andersson trained with the A-team on Thursday because Djurgården needed an extra player to play eleven against eleven in training. The young forward became the youngest Allsvenskan men's player of all time last year when he came on at 15 years and 24 days old, a historic achievement that highlights his early potential in professional football.
Captain Adam Ståhl and Santeri Haarala were on the training pitch on Thursday but trained separately from the rest of the group. Ståhl has had illness issues recently and missed the match against GAIS, according to team reports.
Haarala has been out of football since the turn of the year due to illness, specifically a heart muscle inflammation, according to Djurgården. He returned to training last week and is gradually approaching a comeback, with the club monitoring his progress closely to ensure a safe return to full fitness.
Djurgården trained partly with a five-back line on Thursday, as noted by observers. Whether the team plans to use this formation in upcoming matches is not yet known. The severity and current status of Oskar Fallenius' illness also remain uncertain, as does whether Alexander Andersson will be called up for future matches before joining the A-team full-time in the summer.