I Premier League scored the forward Alexander Isak 21 goals for his Newcastle.
In the national team, he is still waiting for his first goal under Jon Dahl Tomasson's leadership, but the national coach praises the 24-year-old.
The last time Jon Dahl Tomasson was in the Eleda Stadium press room was when it was a tie against Halmstad in the early December 2021 and Malmö FF took home the SM-gold for the second year in a row under the Danish leadership.
That was the end of his journey as MFF coach – the journey as national coach for Sweden's men's national football team began with a 2-5 loss away to Portugal in Guimarães in March.
Now, just as then, Jon Dahl Tomasson has his focus on the national team being on a development journey and that it's only in the fall's Nations League that it's crunch time.
On Wednesday, Denmark is waiting at Parken in Copenhagen and on Saturday, Sweden faces Serbia at Friends Arena in Solna.
Some players do not need the national coach's evaluation during a national team gathering. Forward Alexander Isak finished third in the Premier League's top scorer list after scoring 21 goals for Newcastle in 30 matches.
In the national team, Isak has scored 10 goals in 44 matches, but he is still waiting for his first blue-yellow goal under Jon Dahl Tomasson's leadership.
After the matches against Portugal and Albania (1-0), the "top scorer list" is topped by Gustaf Nilsson with two goals, followed by Viktor Gyökeres with one goal.
The successful striker Gyökeres – the top scorer in Portugal with 29 goals when his Sporting won the league – will miss the national team gathering due to a minor knee injury.
This could open up for Alexander Isak to get a more central role in the attack during this gathering, but Tomasson doesn't want to talk about locked positions for the players.
Alexander Isak joined the A-team already last Monday week when a training camp was held in the Stockholm area together with some U21 national team players.
This despite him having returned from Australia a few days earlier after Newcastle played Tottenham and national team teammate Dejan Kulusevski played an exhibition match in Melbourne.
Sweden's squad for the matches against Denmark and Serbia:
Goalkeepers: Robin Olsen, Aston Villa, Viktor Johansson, Stoke, Kristoffer Nordfeldt, AIK.
Defenders: Victor Nilsson Lindelöf, Manchester United, Ludwig Augustinsson, Anderlecht, Samuel Dahl, Djurgården, Emil Krafth, Newcastle, Hjalmar Ekdal, Burnley, Isak Hien, Atalanta, Emil Holm, do, Carl Starfelt, Celta Vigo, Daniel Svensson, Nordsjælland.
Midfielders and forwards: Jens Cajuste, Napoli, Emil Forsberg, NY Red Bulls, Samuel Gustafson, Urawa Red Diamonds, Alexander Isak, Newcastle, Simon Olsson, Heerenveen, Dejan Kulusevski, Tottenham, Hugo Larsson, Eintracht Frankfurt, Matteo Pérez Vinlöf, Bayern München, Williot Swedberg, Celta Vigo, Yasin Ayari, Blackburn, Anton Salétros, AIK, Niclas Eliasson, AEK Aten, Sebastian Nanasi, Malmö FF, Gustaf Nilsson, Royale Union, Anthony Elanga, Nottingham.
Schedule for Sweden's national team matches in 2024 under the new national coach Jon Dahl Tomasson:
Training matches:
March 21: Portugal (away) 2-5.
March 24: Albania (home) 1-0.
June 5: Denmark (away).
June 8: Serbia (home).
Nations League, C-division:
September 5: Azerbaijan (away).
September 8: Estonia (home).
October 11: Slovakia (home).
October 14: Estonia (away).
November 16: Slovakia (home).
November 19: Azerbaijan (home).
