The head of Sweden explains Victor Lindelof’s omission
Victor Lindelof has withdrawn from the Swedish squad for the matches against Slovakia, Norway and Serbia. The 27-year-old, who was named Sweden’s captain last year, has been forced to watch from the sidelines due to a recurring injury.
When he spoke before his squad for the first time, manager Janne Andersson confirmed the news and insisted that the injury needed time to heal.
“He has had recurring injury problems that need healing,” Andersson is quoted by Aftonbladet. “Victor is the captain and has been a really important player during my six years (in charge). He has never disappointed me so it’s a big blow but it’s the way it is.
“It was so problematic that we did not see a chance that it would get better. Then it is better for him to rest. He’s had problems for a long time so I definitely saw this coming. I visited him a few months ago and we talked about it then. We have talked almost every day and realized that it will not work. “
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Lindelof has previously withdrawn from international service due to a long-term back problem, with preparations for last summer’s European Championships also interrupted due to the problem.
Erik ten Hag, the new manager for United, will probably have been informed about the issue, but with international assignments abolished for Lindelof, he hopes to have him ready when the pre-season starts at the end of next month.
Lindelof is one of the few midfielders in United with a relatively clear future. Eric Bailly and Phil Jones are both expected to leave and there are questions about Harry Maguire’s future as captain.
Off the field, Lindelof has teamed up with Bruno Fernandes to support UNICEF’s campaign to help the victims of the war in Ukraine.