Sweden forced to make do as Potter names squad for World Cup play-offs

Graham Potter speaking to the media last week
Graham Potter speaking to the media last weekFredrik Sandberg/TT / Shutterstock Editorial / Profimedia

Alexander Isak is among a handful of experienced players who have lost their race to be fit and have not been named in Graham Potter's squad for Sweden's crucial FIFA World Cup play-off matches later this month.

Isak was unlikely to feature, with an April return the most recent update coming out of Liverpool, while Dejan Kulusevski, Viktor Johansson, Emil Holm, Jacob Widell Zetterstrom, Alexander Bernhardsson and Emil Krafth were also expected to be out of Potter's side, who are aiming to return to the World Cup this summer after failing to reach Qatar in 2022.

Everything is riding on their Semi-final in UEFA's Path B, as Blagult head to Valencia, Spain, where they will be the designated away team against Ukraine, on Thursday 26th March, 20:45 CET.

A win sees Sweden progress to the Final, where they will host the winner of the Semi-final between Poland and Albania, played in Solna on Tuesday 31st March. Defeat to Ukraine sees Sweden play the loser of Poland vs Albania in a friendly

The squad can call upon many established names, such as Viktor Gyokeres, Yasin Ayari, Isak Hien, Daniel Svensson, Gabriel Gudmundsson, Anthony Elanga and Victor Lindelof.

Potter, who replaced Jon Dahl Tomasson on an interim basis ahead of the November international window, was appointed on a permanent basis last week, signing a contract until 2030 despite not picking up a victory in his two matches in charge thus far.

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