Sweden have made a change to their squad ahead of their fixtures against Switzerland and Slovenia following an injury scare for Leeds United’s Gabriel Gudmundsson.
Gabriel Gudmundsson has been one of the standout performers for Leeds this season, having joined the club following their promotion to the Premier League.
Leeds have lacked creativity in attack at times, but the fledgling partnership between Gudmundsson and Noah Okafor has been the most dangerous area of the pitch under Daniel Farke so far this season.
However, Gudmundsson sat out training for Sweden ahead of their fixture against Switzerland, as a precaution over a potential concussion.
Now, new Sweden boss Graham Potter has called up a replacement to cover for Gudmundsson, as the Leeds man looks set to miss Sweden’s next game.
Sweden call up replacement following Gabriel Gudmundsson injury scare
After Gudmundsson was forced to sit out training as a precaution, Sweden have added additional defensive cover to their squad for the current international break.
Potter has added Emil Krafth of Newcastle United to his squad, with Tottenham’s Lucas Bergvall dropping out.
An official statement from Svensk Fotboll states: “Lucas Bergvall will not be available to play in the men’s national team’s next two matches due to the effects of the concussion he suffered in Tottenham’s league match against Chelsea on November 1.
“The midfielder is now leaving the training camp in Marbella and returning to the club team for continued rehabilitation.
“National team captain Graham Potter has chosen to call up Emil Krafth to the squad on Thursday. The Newcastle defender will join the team in Geneva on Friday.”
Although Potter has made the change as a replacement for Bergvall, the fact that he has replaced a forward with a defender hints that there are ongoing concerns over Gudmundsson.
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Leeds United stats show the importance of Gabriel Gudmundsson in attack
While Sweden’s decision to call up an additional defender may be bad news for Gudmundsson’s hopes of playing in the current international break, the fact that he is only suffering from a suspected concussion means he should be available for Leeds’ game against Aston Villa.
With Leeds receiving criticism for their stuttering attack against Nottingham Forest, they cannot afford to be without Gudmundsson for too long.
| Third of the Pitch | % of Chances Created |
| Left Third | 35% |
| Middle Third | 38% |
| Right Third | 28% |
The Opta data from Leeds’ season to date highlights just how important Leeds’ left side is to their creativity, with 35% of all of their chances this season coming in the left-hand third.
By contrast, only 28% of their chances have come from the other flank, to show just how reliant Farke is on the Gudmundsson-Okafor axis.
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