World Cup 'plan' revealed for injured Leeds United star as manager confirms huge decision
Gabriel Gudmundsson didn't feature in any of Leeds United's final four Premier League games due to a hamstring injury.
Leeds United defender Gabriel Gudmundsson will return from injury just in time for Sweden’s final World Cup warm-up game, head coach Graham Potter has confirmed.
Gudmundsson has been out of action since suffering a hamstring injury during Leeds’ FA Cup semi-final defeat to Chelsea on April 26. The left wing-back missed his side’s final four Premier League games in which survival was guaranteed and a 14th-place finish secured.
Upon being named in the Sweden World Cup squad last month, Gudmundsson insisted he would be ‘fully ready’ by the time he joined up with the squad. But the 27-year-old was not involved in any capacity as Potter’s side lost their first summer friendly 3-1 in Norway.
Sweden’s final warm-up game before heading across the Atlantic Ocean is at home to Greece on Thursday evening, and head coach Potter has confirmed he’ll make a number of changes. That includes the return of Gudmundsson not only to the squad, but straight back into the starting-XI.
“It's very good for us, all 26 are available,” Potter said. “Gabriel will start. It has been part of the plan.” The Leeds defender will be joined by others returning to the first-XI, namely striker pair Viktor Gyokeres and Alexander Isak.
"They are two fantastic players,” Potter said of the pair. “It is very important to have them together on the pitch and to build a relationship, to see how we can best use them, how we can organise the team and get the best out of them.”
Gudmundsson will have a great opportunity to cement his starting place in time for the World Cup, with positional rival Daniel Svensson struggling against Norway on Monday. The Borussia Dortmund left-back reportedly snubbed a post-match trip through the media mixed zone after having the ‘hardest time’ and receiving ‘harsh criticism’.
Leeds star Gudmundsson already looked set to be first-choice on that side, having started both of Sweden’s World Cup qualifying play-off victories over Ukraine and Poland in March. He also started both sets of games in September and October but dropped to the bench in November.
Sweden kick-off their World Cup campaign against Tunisia in Guadalupe, Mexico on June 15 before facing the Netherlands in Houston, Texas five days later. Gudmundsson’s side then head to Arlington in the same state for a final group stage meeting with Ao Tanka’s Japan on June 26.