Viktor Gyokeres Excluded from Sweden Squad Amid Injury Concerns

Viktor Gyokeres, the Arsenal striker who joined the club from Sporting in July, has not been included in Graham Potter’s inaugural squad for Sweden. This decision comes as Gyokeres is set to undergo further assessments this week due to concerns regarding a possible hamstring injury, which he may have sustained during Arsenal’s Premier League victory over Burnley last Saturday.

The 27-year-old was also absent from Arsenal’s recent Champions League match against Slavia Prague on Tuesday.

In contrast, Liverpool’s Alexander Isak has been selected for Sweden’s World Cup qualifiers against Switzerland on 15 November and Slovenia on 18 November, despite having not played since 22 October due to a groin injury.

The squad also features Tottenham midfielder Lucas Bergvall, who is recovering from a concussion, alongside Newcastle winger Anthony Elanga, as announced by Potter, who was appointed Sweden’s coach on a short-term basis on 20 October, following his dismissal from West Ham.

Potter’s appointment followed the sacking of previous coach Jon Dahl Tomasson, which occurred after Sweden’s 1-0 defeat to Kosovo on 13 October had rendered automatic qualification for the World Cup unattainable.

Currently, Sweden sits at the bottom of Group B with only one point from four matches. However, there remains a possibility of participating in the World Cup play-offs based on their recent performance in the Nations League.