Sweden's national football team has announced its squad for an upcoming World Cup playoff match against Ukraine. The squad includes Lucas Bergvall, but Alexander Isak is not selected. According to coach Graham Potter, Isak is making progress but it is too early for him to return.
With goalkeepers Jacob Widell Zetterström and Viktor Johansson unavailable, Potter has chosen Kristoffer Nordfeldt, Melker Ellborg, and Noel Törnqvist for the goalkeeper positions. Gustav Lundgren is back in the squad, and two Allsvenskan players, Elliot Stroud and Taha Ali, have been called up for the first time at the competitive level. Potter, who was initially a temporary replacement after Jon Dahl Tomasson was fired, has reportedly extended his contract until the summer of 2030.
Isak is making progress but it is too early for him to return
Sweden had only earned one point after four World Cup qualifiers under Tomasson, but Potter secured a point in each of the last two qualifiers against Switzerland and Slovenia. In a podcast, player Gabriel Gudmundsson discussed the team's struggles, suggesting that Tomasson's tactics, which involved man-to-man marking, might have been too aggressive in some parts of the plan. Gudmundsson also reportedly emphasized that the players share responsibility for the failure.
Tomasson's tactics, which involved man-to-man marking, might have been too aggressive in some parts of the plan
The players share responsibility for the failure