At this week's training sessions in Marbella, the new national team captain of the women's football team, Tony Gustavsson, has divided the players into a blue and a pink team. The blue team has very much looked like a possible starting eleven for Friday's Nations League semi-final against Spain in Málaga.
Gustavsson confirms that this is the case.
Yes, it is. But the final decision is made tonight (Thursday). You always check after the last training session on form, availability, scratches and playing time, and then you paint up a starting eleven, but also a final eleven, says Gustavsson.
It's not set in stone, but there's a high probability that of what you've seen, many of them will also start tomorrow.
Two changes from the European Championship
It's partly about time constraints. Tony Gustavsson's first national team squad gathered on Monday, and just four days later, they will compete for a place in the Nations League final. The semi-final is played as a double match with a return match at Gamla Ullevi in Gothenburg on Tuesday.
It's incredibly much new for the players, new national team captain and new leadership team. So then we felt it was important with continuity and stability before this first match.
Therefore, Friday's eleven is very similar to the one that lost the European Championship quarter-final against England in July. The only differences are that Amanda Ilestedt takes one of the central defender positions in the absence of the injured Magdalena Eriksson, and that left-back Anna Sandberg – who was not part of the European Championship squad – replaces Jonna Andersson, who is not part of the Nations League squad.
"Scenario players"
There is a core and a sense of community, and then we said we build on that as a foundation for the first match.
But then we look at who in the "pink team" can come in and be scenario players. I mean, do we need to change to a five-man defensive line? Do we need to bring in speed up front? Do we need to bring in heading play in our own box? And there I think the players who have not been part of the preliminary eleven have been incredibly professional.
Sweden's starting eleven (4–3–3): Jennifer Falk – Hanna Lundkvist, Nathalie Björn, Amanda Ilestedt, Anna Sandberg – Filippa Angeldahl, Kosovare Asllani, Julia Zigiotti Olme – Johanna Rytting Kaneryd, Stina Blackstenius, Fridolina Rolfö.
