Newly appointed Sweden coach Graham Potter has made a bold call-up decision, selecting Alexander Isak while leaving out Viktor Gyokeres for the upcoming World Cup qualifiers.
Gyokeres Out, Isak In — Sweden’s Forward Line Shaken Up
Sweden face Switzerland national football team on 15 November and Slovenia national football team three days later.
Isak, the Liverpool striker, has been sidelined since 22 October with a groin problem and has not played for his club since.
Nonetheless, Potter has opted to include him in the squad, citing that although Isak is not ready for two full games, he is “available”.
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In contrast, Arsenal forward Gyokeres has been omitted. He was withdrawn at half-time of Arsenal’s Premier League win at Burnley with a suspected hamstring issue and missed their Champions League tie against Slavia Prague as further tests are scheduled.
Potter, who took charge of Sweden on 20 October on a short-term deal after the departure of Jon Dahl Tomasson, inherits a tricky qualification path.
Sweden are currently bottom of Group B with just one point from four matches and must rely on a play-off route for the 2026 World Cup.
Also read: How Sweden Can Still Qualify for the World Cup After Kosovo Defeat
With the squad now gathered ahead of their double header, Sweden will be hoping Isak’s inclusion can spark momentum despite his recent fitness issues, while they wait on medical updates regarding Gyokeres.
As reported by Reuters, Here’s the squad announced by Graham Potter for the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers against Switzerland national football team (15 Nov) and Slovenia national football team (18 Nov).
Goalkeepers: Viktor Johansson, Kristoffer Nordfeldt, Noel Törnqvist, Jacob Widell Zetterström.
Defenders: Gabriel Gudmundsson, Isak Hien, Emil Holm, Gustaf Lagerbielke, Victor Lindelöf, Ken Sema, Carl Starfelt, Daniel Svensson
Midfielders & Forwards: Taha Ali, Yasin Ayari, Roony Bardghji, Lucas Bergvall, Alexander Bernhardsson, Anthony Elanga, Alexander Isak, Jesper Karlström, Hugo Larsson, Isac Lidberg, Gustav Lundgren, Benjamin Nygren, Mattias Svanberg, Besfort Zeneli.
The decision highlights Potter’s faith in Isak’s potential impact and underlines the fitness uncertainty surrounding Sweden’s attacking options.
