Ljubljana on September 5, then it will be a quick pace in the World Championship qualification until the sixth and final qualifying match on November 18, when Slovenia visit Sweden. In between, there will be home and away matches against Kosovo and Switzerland.
It can be an advantage if you start strong, says Hien.
Sweden's national team captain Jon Dahl Tomasson, on the other hand, is not entirely pleased with the short qualification period because it makes a small football nation, which does not have many players, vulnerable in terms of injuries.
"Old school"
I belong to the old school, which liked qualifications that lasted ten to twelve months. This qualification is adapted to the big nations, says Tomasson.
Sweden has just such an injury. Dejan Kulusevski will likely miss the entire World Championship qualification due to his knee injury.
Isak Hien sees other challenges with a short qualification.
One simply does not have the same opportunities to recover in terms of points. But it can also be an advantage if you start strong and can ride the wave more, he says during the press conference in Ljubljana on Thursday evening.
Tomasson reveals nothing more about the starting eleven against Slovenia than that Robin Olsen will guard the goal. And of course, the center back Isak Hien is a given, since he has been appointed team captain.
"Has experience"
We have two really good goalkeepers and both have performed well. We have chosen Robin, he has experience in a fairly inexperienced team, says Dahl Tomasson.
When it comes to Alexander Isak, who only has three team trainings in his background (with the national team), as a starter, he says vaguely:
He can be a "game changer". But we'll see if he starts tomorrow. I won't say today if he does.
Only on match day does he release the starting eleven to the players. And Dahl Tomasson does not see that as anything strange.
Everyone knows what to do if they get to play.
Do you have the eleven clear for you?
I and the leadership team have talked about it and we have an idea of what the eleven looks like, he says.
Tomasson sees Slovenia as the favorite in the match because they played the European Championship finals last year - and did not lose during regular time against England, Denmark, Serbia, and Portugal - which Sweden did not do.
It's a fantastic team that defensively is top class. I usually talk about the Slovenian wall. And it's a compliment. But we also have a good team. It will be a good challenge.
Isak Hien does not point out any favorite.
Favoritism is something that outsiders put on teams, he says.
Kickoff is at 20.45 at Stadion Stozice.
