+ Isak drama
Alexander Isak, the national team's big attacking star, wants to go to Liverpool and has been allowed to train on his own after a public conflict with Newcastle, where Isak claims that the club has given promises that he will be allowed to leave.
With a week left of the transfer window, it is still unclear where Isak will play. Tomasson said last week about Isak's situation:
I do not know the whole picture. It is quite normal since there is a lot of politics in a football club. But one thing is certain: "Alex" is a fantastic guy and very professional, he said to TV4's Football Channel.
We should all be very careful not to draw conclusions because we do not know the bigger picture.
+ Team captain's uncertain future
Victor Nilsson Lindelöf has recently left Manchester United and is without a new club, which leaves him in limbo ahead of the World Championship qualification. The team captain has, however, kept going through training with his youth club Västerås SK. The defender has been rumored to clubs such as Fiorentina and Celta Vigo during the summer.
+ Kulusevski's knee injury
Dejan Kulusevski was operated on for a knee injury in May. Tomasson has confirmed that the midfielder will miss the two opening matches in the qualification, against Slovenia and Kosovo next week. According to reports, Kulusevski will also miss the entire qualifying game, which gives Tomasson even more headaches. Kulusevski himself comments via social media that he is "soon back".
+ More injuries
Center back Carl Starfelt has been struggling with recurring thigh injuries. Most recently, just a few days before the season started, he was injured again with a strain in the back of his thigh. This means that he will miss the qualifying matches in September.
Right back Emil Holm is also injured and will most likely miss the World Championship qualification in September.
The qualification for the World Championship 2026 is played for the Swedish part during the autumn of 2025. The number one in each of the twelve qualifying groups is directly qualified for the World Championship finals in the USA, Canada, and Mexico in 2026.
An additional four places in the World Championship finals are filled after a playoff where the twelve group runners-up in the World Championship qualification, together with the four highest-ranked group winners from the Nations League 2024 (of the remaining teams), participate.
The playoff is decided in the spring of 2026 in four groups where semifinals and finals are played in single matches.
Sweden's opponents in the qualifying group are Slovenia, Kosovo, and Switzerland.
Sweden's qualifying matches:
September 5, Slovenia (away)
September 8, Kosovo (away)
October 10, Switzerland (home)
October 13, Kosovo (home)
November 15, Switzerland (away)
November 18, Slovenia (home)
