Kosovare Asllani suffered a serious knee injury, specifically an ACL tear, during a Women's Super League match against West Ham several weeks ago, according to official sources. She will be out of football for a long time due to the injury and is scheduled for surgery, and as a result, she was not included in the squad for the upcoming World Cup qualifiers. Coach Tony Gustavsson wanted Asllani to attend the national team gathering despite her injury, but she could not attend because flying was not possible due to her situation, according to Gustavsson.
Tony Gustavsson is the new coach of the Swedish women's national team, but his tenure begins under challenging circumstances. Sweden begins World Cup qualifying with Gustavsson suspended and watching from the stands, as he is suspended for the opening qualifier against Italy. The Swedish appeal against his suspension was rejected, and he cannot have any contact with the team starting 90 minutes before the match.
With us in our hearts.
Gustavsson is suspended because he received a red card after the final whistle for an outburst at referees following a loss to France in the Nations League, according to research sources. Sweden has four points after two matches in World Cup qualifiers, with a win against Italy and a draw against Serbia, both away. The qualifier against Italy was on Tuesday with kickoff at 18:15, and Sweden won that opener 1-0, with the goal scored by Filippa Angeldahl in the first half.
Sweden's starting lineup against Italy included young players Felicia Schröder and Monica Jusu Bah in attack, with Fridolina Rolfö starting on the bench. Sweden will face Denmark at Gamla Ullevi in Gothenburg on April 14 and Serbia at Strawberry Arena in Solna on April 18, with SVT broadcasting both matches. Zećira Mušović is back in the team after pregnancy and maternity leave.
I burn for the Swedish shirt.
Tony Gustavsson selected Zecira Musovic for the national team squad for upcoming World Cup qualifiers, and she has returned to the Swedish national team after 490 days since her last international match. Zecira Musovic became a mother to a daughter named Zarah in August, and she made her competitive comeback in March in the Swedish Cup and played in the Damallsvenskan opener. Amanda Ilestedt is back in the national team after returning to full training, according to team reports.
Zećira Mušović and Amanda Ilestedt have played together for many years, starting at Rosengård (formerly LdB FC Malmö) in 2012, and won two Swedish championships with the club, according to sources. Jennifer Falk is the first-choice goalkeeper in the national team under Tony Gustavsson. Other squad changes include Beata Olsson being called up to the national team squad as a replacement for Kosovare Asllani.
I trained almost until the last weeks of my pregnancy.
Johanna Rytting Kaneryd did not train with the team ahead of the World Cup qualifier, and she has had problems with an ankle injury and missed Chelsea's last two matches, according to reports. Anna Anvegård was left out of the World Cup qualifier squad, and she has only played three matches since rehabilitating from a knee injury. Nathalie Björn is injured.
Sweden's women's national team has gathered for two important World Cup qualifier matches, with the team losing experienced players like Linda Sembrant, Magdalena Eriksson, and Jonna Andersson, who have retired from the national team. The Swedish national team is in Portugal preparing for the World Cup qualifier, with a training camp that is 12 days long instead of 9 days. Josefine Rybrink and Cornelia Kapocs are with the team in Portugal as training players for the first days, despite not being initially selected, and they were chosen because they were in the broader squad and are multifunctional players, according to Gustavsson.
The situation with Johanna Rytting Kaneryd is still uncertain.
Rybrink and Kapocs are not expected to travel to Italy for the qualifier. Asllani's specific situation involves coach Tony Gustavsson wanting her to attend the national team gathering despite her injury, but she could not attend because flying was not possible due to her situation, according to Gustavsson. Personal details about Mušović's family life include her bringing her daughter Zarah to the national team training camp, supported by enhanced parental support in player contracts.
Zecira Musovic's partner is Alen Bibic, a former hockey player and current club director for Rögle, and she follows the SHL playoffs due to her partner's involvement with Rögle. Upcoming match against Serbia involves tactical considerations, with Tony Gustavsson keeping the starting lineup for the Serbia match secret. Sweden previously beat Serbia 2-0 away and 6-0 at home in the European Championship playoffs in fall 2024, but Serbia lost its first World Cup qualifier 1-3 to Denmark.
A decision on Johanna Rytting Kaneryd's participation will be made later, based on medical advice.
Serbia controlled play in the second half against Denmark and it was 2-1 for a long time, according to Gustavsson. The Serbia-Sweden match starts at 16:00, with SVT's studio coverage starting at 15:50, and the match broadcast on SVT2 and SVT Play. Key unknowns persist as Sweden approaches these qualifiers.
Whether Johanna Rytting Kaneryd will be fit to play in the upcoming matches remains uncertain. The exact timeline for Kosovare Asllani's recovery and return to football after her ACL injury and surgery has not been confirmed. The specific starting lineup Tony Gustavsson will use for the match against Serbia is undisclosed.
Anna Anvegård is very much a current option for the future.
The extent of Nathalie Björn's injury and when she might return to the national team are also unclear. Whether Josefine Rybrink and Cornelia Kapocs will travel to Italy for the qualifier is uncertain.
The team felt it was too early to include Anna Anvegård in this squad due to limited match minutes.
The match against Serbia will be very tough and not as easy as the previous results suggest.
I am proud and admire the players' fighting spirit.
Tony Gustavsson will have a hard time being quiet during the match and his voice will still be heard.
I will respect the rules and try to appear calm during the match.