Facts: Linda Sembrant
Born: 15 May 1987 in Uppsala (age 35).
Position: Center back.
Club: Juventus.
A caps/goals: 135/17.
Former clubs: Bälinge (–2007), Lincoln (short-term loan 2006), AIK (2008–2010), Gothenburg (2011), Tyresö FF (2012–2014), Montpellier (2014–2019).
Main merits: World Cup bronze 2019, Olympic silver 2016, World Cup bronze 2011. Italian league champion with Juventus 2020, 2021 and 2022 as well as cup champion 2022, SM gold with Tyresö FF 2012. Back of the year at the Soccer Gala 2016 and 2019.
The national team is currently gathered for the last time before the WC gathering this summer. However, it was close to Linda Sembrant remaining at home in Turin instead.
But thanks to a successful operation – and a protective mask – she was able to join the national team almost as planned earlier this week.
It was in the final minutes of Juventus’ match against Inter just over two weeks ago that the accident occurred.
Linda Sembrant was hit by an elbow from the right and immediately felt that her nose was broken.
— I get the elbow quite hard from the side. Then when I fall down, I definitely feel my nose and feel that it sticks out on that side instead, says the national team defender and points to his left cheek.
— Luckily, it wasn’t that far left in the match. There were five minutes left, so I played them off hoping there wouldn’t be another header duel.
“Color smooth” face
An operation was required to straighten the nose again. “My face has been colorful for the last few days,” the Swede wrote on Instagram afterwards, with a picture of her heavily plastered nose and a large bruise under her left eye.
— And then you still haven’t seen the worst (images). It wasn’t so nice the first few days, I walked around like a panda for a while, says Linda Sembrant after the national team’s training at Ullevi on Easter Sunday.
— The problem was that there was no bleeding during the match, but all the blood remained in the skull. But now after two weeks it’s more or less gone.
“Should Protect”
Despite the broken nose, Linda Sembrant got the go-ahead for the national team meeting where Sweden met Denmark in Malmö on Friday (0-1) and will face Norway in Gothenburg on Tuesday.
However, a transparent protective mask is required, which should minimize the risk of another blow to the nose before it has healed.
— It’s a bit of a habit, of course, to have it. But now I feel that I can move freely and can focus on what I’m doing on the field, not on how the mask feels, she says.
— It takes a few weeks until everything heals, but it’s supposed to protect and if something happens, the pressure is on other places on the face.