"Alexander Isak has been included in Sweden's World Cup squad after recovering from a fractured leg, though Barcelona's Roony Bardghji has been surprisingly left out. Isak was out for around four months after injuring his fibula just before Christmas, meaning he missed Sweden's victories over Ukraine and Poland in March's play-offs."
"In his absence, Viktor Gyokeres led the line and scored a hat-trick against Ukraine in the semi-finals, before providing the late winner in a 3-2 final victory over Poland. Isak, who has 16 goals in 56 senior caps for his country, then missed Liverpool's Premier League defeat to Manchester United earlier this month due to a minor groin issue, but Sweden are hopeful he will be fully fit for their first World Cup campaign since 2018."
"But the former Chelsea boss has overlooked Bardghji, despite the 20-year-old making 26 appearances for Barcelona in all competitions this season (nine starts) and helping them retain the LaLiga title. Dejan Kulusevski is another big-name absentee, though the Tottenham winger was not expected to make the cut after missing the entire 2025-26 season with a serious knee injury."
"Potter said: "We have turned every stone and investigated the possibilities, and I have carefully considered the situation before making this decision, which was very tough. "I have chosen a group that can stand strong together and in which the players get the best out of each other. A tournament is something different from an ordinary gathering. "We are faced with other challenges over time that we need to handle together, and we build that capacity with the right mix of players, where everyone matters.""
Alexander Isak has been named in Sweden’s 2026 World Cup squad after recovering from a fractured leg and a later minor groin issue. He missed Sweden’s March play-off matches against Ukraine and Poland due to a fibula injury, during which Viktor Gyokeres led the attack and scored a hat-trick against Ukraine. Gyokeres also provided the late winner in a 3-2 final victory over Poland. Isak has 16 goals in 56 senior caps and is expected to be fully fit for Sweden’s first World Cup campaign since 2018. Sweden’s squad includes Gyokeres, but Roony Bardghji is omitted despite 26 appearances for Barcelona and helping them retain the LaLiga title. Dejan Kulusevski is also absent after a serious knee injury kept him out of the entire 2025-26 season. Graham Potter said he considered all options and selected a group designed to stand together and maximize player contributions in a tournament setting.
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