Sweden reveal World Cup team without Kulusevski

Sweden have announced their final 26-member squad ahead of the upcoming World Cup. The big surprise in the team announced is the absence of Tottenham Hotspur star forward Dejan Kulusevski on Tuesday (May 12). The Swedes are finally going to start their World Cup mission without him as he has not fully recovered from a long-standing knee injury. The 26-year-old forward has been out of the field for the past year due to injury.

Despite the faint hope in the minds of fans surrounding him, Sweden coach Graham Potter ultimately took no risks. Explaining his decision at a press conference after the team was announced, Potter said, "It was a very difficult decision. We had to take into account where he has been in the last year, what he has done and what stage of rehabilitation he is at. The first match is still four and a half weeks away, but the decision has been made keeping in mind his current condition.

While Kulusevski has been ruled out, the coach has kept another injured forward, Alexander Isak, in the team. Isak suffered from injury last season, but Potter hopes the forward will be 100% fit before the World Cup starts.

Sweden's performance in World Cup qualifying was not as expected; they finished bottom of their group with just two points. However, the team got a chance to play in the play-offs thanks to their success in UEFA Nations League 'C' Group. There, they beat Ukraine and Poland to dramatically qualify for the main stage of the World Cup.