Facts: Sweden’s squad
The national team faces Mexico on Wednesday night in Girona. The national team year ends against Algeria in Malmö on Saturday.
Goalkeepers: Robin Olsen, Aston Villa, Kristoffer Nordfeldt, AIK, Leopold Wahlstedt, Odds BK.
Backs: Joel Andersson, Midtjylland, Ludwig Augustinsson, Aston Villa, Filip Dagerstål, Lech Poznan, Isak Hien, Hellas Verona, Emil Holm, Spezia, Edvin Kurtulus, Hammarby, Victor Nilsson Lindelöf, Manchester U, Aiham Ousou, Slavia Prague.
Midfielders/forwards: Viktor Claesson, FC Copenhagen, Anthony Elanga, Manchester U, Emil Forsberg, Leipzig, Samuel Gustafson, Häcken, Viktor Gyökeres, Coventry, Mikael Ishak, Lech Poznan, Jesper Karlsson, AZ Alkmaar, Jesper Karlström, Lech Poznan, Kristoffer Olsson, Midtjylland, Robin Quaison, Al-Ettifaq, Marcus Rohdén, Frosinone, Ken Sema, Watford, Mattias Svanberg, Wolfsburg, Magnus Eriksson, Djurgården.
Kulusevski was one of five players suspended by their club teams from the upcoming internationals. The first is against Mexico in Girona on Wednesday. Then Algeria awaits in Malmö on Saturday.
Tottenham manager Antonio Conte did not want to risk anything given Kulusevski’s previous injury this autumn. That was the justification for not releasing the striker to the national team.
But since Andersson took the squad out, Kulusevski has made a change and played from the start against Leeds this weekend.
TT: Have you made any attempts to get him here? He is obviously healthy.
— I spoke to him before last weekend. Then the club and he had agreed that it was good for him to build up for this period.
“Perhaps took a bit of a chance”
— Which I think was well thought out. I have great respect for saying that at club level.
— Then I think it went a little faster than they thought – and a little better. I’m not going to evaluate and judge what they’ve done, but maybe they’ve taken a bit of a chance because it’s a break, Andersson says.
Dejan Kulusevski in Tottenham’s 4-3 win against Leeds at the weekend.
Kulusevski was highly rated for his performance against Leeds. Among other things, he contributed with an assist to the winning goal. Club legend Gary Lineker claims that Kulusevski makes a big difference. When he plays and is fit, Tottenham are a significantly better team, something that also applies to the national team.
In short – Dejan Kulusevski is needed in a national team that has faced the most adversity.
“Fundamentally, I know that Dejan would have loved to have been there, but if you’ve been away for so long, you shouldn’t risk anything.” I understand that.
TT: You haven’t had any contact with Tottenham?
– No. Tottenham sent us a message in which they very nicely and neatly described the situation and that they want him to remain at home.
Respect for the arrangement
TT: It is not entirely unusual that you might make an agreement. For example, that he gets to play 60 minutes against Mexico and is not included against Algeria?
— That could be done, but in this case I talked to Dejan and he talked to the club and we decided on this arrangement. Since then I have not bothered to touch it with respect for the club’s decision.
Andersson is experiencing his heaviest period since he took the job as national team captain in 2016. A missed World Cup play-off, relegation to the C division in the Nations League, loads of injuries and rejections… most things that can go wrong have gone wrong.
The international matches this week can polish the facade, but no more than that.
When asked how he has been affected by the setbacks in 2022, Andersson answers:
— I am very careful to distinguish who I am as a person (and as the national team captain). I am married to Ulrika and we are doing well with our dog and our children and grandchildren.
“Eating My Peanuts”
— The job situation has been messy this year. It is clear that I am affected by not having fully had the chance to perform with the best conditions. It’s a huge frustration.
— As a person, I am the same old man. I eat my peanuts, drink my beers and watch jogging and football and think it’s great, but work-wise it’s been hard.