Dejan Kulusevski's World Cup dreams have been dashed after Sweden manager Graham Potter left the injured Tottenham Hotspur forward out of his 26-man squad for the upcoming tournament. The 26-year-old has been sidelined for a year with a serious knee injury and was unable to recover in time to feature.
Potter Explains Difficult Decision
Speaking to the media, Potter acknowledged the tough call: "A very, very difficult decision in terms of where he has been, what he's done over the last year, where he's at in terms of his rehab with four and a half weeks to go to that first game. Once those games start, you're not really in a place where you can start playing in big areas, spaces and then be able to work. So it's very, very difficult to get up to where we need them to be, and so you have to make a very tough decision."
While Kulusevski's absence is a blow, fellow forward Alexander Isak has been included despite his own injury struggles this season. Potter expressed confidence in the Liverpool striker's ability to hit top form for the tournament. "We obviously hope he finishes the season in Liverpool with some game time. Our challenge is to get Alex in the best moment of the season and for him to hit top form, because if he does, he's a world-class player," Potter said.
Sweden's Road to the World Cup
Sweden endured a challenging qualifying campaign, finishing bottom of their group with just two points. However, a strong performance in UEFA Nations League C saw them secure a playoff route, with victories over Ukraine and Poland earning their place at the finals. "It's incredibly exciting, a huge honour for me," Potter remarked before announcing the squad. "The positive response from our supporters has been fantastic, and now we're looking forward to creating more memories together during the World Cup."
Group F Fixtures and Full Squad
The Swedes will begin their Group F campaign against Tunisia in Guadalupe, Mexico, on 14 June, before travelling to Texas for matches against the Netherlands in Houston and Japan in Arlington.
Sweden squad:
- Goalkeepers: Kristoffer Nordfeldt (AIK), Viktor Johansson (Stoke City), Jacob Widell Zetterström (Derby County)
- Defenders: Daniel Svensson (Borussia Dortmund), Victor Lindelof (Aston Villa), Isak Hien (Atalanta), Carl Starfelt (Celta Vigo), Elliot Stroud (Mjallby AIF), Gustaf Lagerbielke (Braga), Gabriel Gudmundsson (Leeds United), Emil Holm (Juventus), Hjalmar Ekdal (Burnley), Erik Smith (St. Pauli)
- Midfielders & forwards: Taha Ali (Malmo FF), Yasin Ayari (Brighton & Hove Albion), Lucas Bergvall (Tottenham Hotspur), Anthony Elanga (Newcastle United), Viktor Gyokeres (Arsenal), Jesper Karlstrom (Udinese), Gustaf Nilsson (Club Brugge), Benjamin Nygren (Celtic), Mattias Svanberg (VfL Wolfsburg), Besfort Zeneli (Royale Union Saint-Gilloise), Alexander Isak (Liverpool), Alexander Bernhardsson (Holstein Kiel), Ken Sema (Pafos)
