Gyökeres out, Isak in for Sweden as Potter selects first squad

STOCKHOLM (AP) — Viktor Gyökeres was left out of the first Sweden squad selected by new coach Graham Potter on Wednesday after picking up a muscular injury playing for Arsenal at the weekend.

Fellow striker Alexander Isak was included, though, despite missing Liverpool’s last four games because of a groin problem.

Potter was hired last month on an initial deal that will see him take control for Sweden’s final World Cup qualifiers, against Switzerland and Slovenia over the next two weeks.

He will also coach the struggling national team in the World Cup playoffs in March, which Sweden is likely to reach by virtue of winning its most recent Nations League group.

However, the Englishman will start his tenure without Gyökeres, who was substituted because of injury at halftime in Arsenal’s 2-0 win over Burnley in the Premier League on Saturday and missed the 3-0 victory at Slavia Prague in the Champions League on Tuesday.

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta said ahead of the Slavia game that he was “concerned” about Gyökeres’ injury and indicated there was uncertainty over just how bad it was.

Isak, who joined Liverpool as the British record signing in the summer transfer window, hasn’t played since coming off at halftime in the 5-1 win over Eintracht Frankfurt on Oct. 22.

Liverpool manager Arne Slot said 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 is not ready to play two matches for 90 minutes (for Sweden),” Potter said of Isak, “but he is available.”

Sweden is last in its four-team World Cup qualifying group, on one point from four games, after a dispiriting campaign that led to the firing of Jon Dahl Tomasson, its first foreign-born coach.

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