Gyokeres out, Isak in: Swedish coach Graham Potter announces the squad for the FIFA World Cup qualifiers

Viktor Gyokeres was on Wednesday left out of Sweden’s first squad selected by new coach Graham Potter ahead of the upcoming FIFA World Cup qualifiers.

While Gyokeres will be sidelined due to a muscle injury he suffered while playing for Arsenal this weekend, fellow striker Alexander Isak was included in the squad despite missing Liverpool’s last four games due to a groin problem.

Potter was hired last month on an initial deal that would see him take charge of Sweden’s final World Cup qualifiers against Switzerland and Slovenia in the next two weeks.

He will also coach the struggling national team through the World Cup play-offs in March, which Sweden will likely reach thanks to winning the most recent Nations League group.

However, the Englishman will start his term without Gyokeres, who was substituted due to an injury during Arsenal’s 2-0 win over Burnley in the Premier League on Saturday and missed Tuesday’s 3-0 win over Slavia Prague in the Champions League.

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta said ahead of the game against Slavia that he was «concerned» about Gyokeres’ injury and indicated there was uncertainty over how serious it was.

Isak, who joined Liverpool in the summer transfer window as a British record signing, has not played since beating Eintracht Frankfurt 5-1 at half-time on October 22.

Liverpool manager Arne Slot said on Monday that Isak was in a race against time to be fit to play against Manchester City in the league on Sunday, and Potter said the striker’s fitness would be assessed after the weekend.

“He’s not ready to play two 90-minute games (for Sweden),” Potter said of Isak, “but he is available.”

Sweden are last in the four-team World Cup qualifying group, with one point from four matches, after a dispiriting campaign that led to the dismissal of Jon Dahl Tomasson, the country’s first foreign-born coach.

Published on November 5, 2025