Sweden Boss Potter Has “Fingers Crossed” for Alexander Isak Return

Again within the autumn, following Liverpool’s massive cash signing of Alexander Isak however with the participant not totally match match following an acrimonious departure from Newcastle United that noticed him miss pre-season as he pushed for the transfer, Sweden nationwide workforce supervisor Jon Dahl Tomasson went out of his solution to shield the participant.

With Sweden then failing to safe a World Cup berth by way of UEFA qualification, Jon Dahl Tomasson misplaced his job. His alternative, Graham Potter, nonetheless has the possibility to qualify them to subsequent summer time’s expanded 48-team World Cup by way of a playoff because of the nation’s success within the Nations League. And there are questions as as to whether he’ll be as cautious with Isak’s well being as Tomasson.

“Proper now we’re simply conserving our fingers crossed,” Potter stated when requested by Swedish journalists about the opportunity of a trio of key injured gamers together with Liverpool striker Isak again in time face Ukraine in late March. “Hopefully we will get a few of these guys again—but when not, we’ve got to discover a answer with the fellows which can be accessible.”

Along with Isak, Potter and Sweden are with out Dejan Kulusevski and Lucas Bergvall. Kulusevski is by all accounts dominated out via the qualification playoff interval, however the finish of March falls near when Isak and Bergvall may be getting their first on-pitch minutes—although it’s exhausting to think about both being match match.

Sweden will play Ukraine on March twenty sixth in a semi-final, with the winner then taking over the winner of Poland vs. Albania within the March 31 qualification last to safe a kind of 4 nations a spot on the 2026 World Cup in a bunch with Netherlands, Japan, and Tunisia.