4 hours ago
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Alexander Isak's dreams of donning the Swedish colours in next summer's World Cup have hit a stumbling block. The team is currently rooted to the bottom of qualification Group B, leaving them with just one remaining pathway to secure their ticket to North America next summer.
Now under the stewardship of former Chelsea and Brighton gaffer Graham Potter, the squad suffered a 4-1 drubbing at the hands of Switzerland on Saturday evening. This leaves them with a paltry single point from their first five outings, as Isak made his return to action.
The Liverpool striker will be back on the pitch on Tuesday for the final qualification match against Slovenia. However, the defeat to Switzerland means that Sweden steps into this game fully aware they have no shot at securing either the top automatic qualification spot or the second play-off position.
Yet, there's still a sliver of hope for the nation to feature in the summer's tournament. They can clinch their spot through the UEFA Nations League.
Sweden earned promotion in this tournament under the guidance of former manager Jon Dahl Tomasson. As such, they hold a place in the World Cup play-offs by being one of the four best-performing teams in the Nations League, who are not guaranteed a play-off spot through World Cup qualifying.
Despite having two of Europe's most sought-after strikers, in Isak and Viktor Gyokeres, their lacklustre showing in the World Cup qualifiers is surprising.
Arsenal secured Gyokeres from Sporting CP this summer, while Isak made a record-breaking £125million move from Newcastle to Liverpool on deadline day.
Currently, Gyokeres is out of action due to an injury sustained during the international break, whilst Isak is still working on his fitness following a disrupted pre-season. Despite making an appearance off the bench against Switzerland, the Liverpool forward couldn't change the game for his side.
Since joining the ranks at Anfield, Isak has had difficulty settling in. He's yet to score his first Premier League goal, with his only netting so far coming in the Carabao Cup.
After missing four matches due to injury, he returned to Liverpool's bench before the international break.
If they don't make it to the World Cup this summer, it will be a significant personal blow for both players, who dream of showcasing their skills on the world's biggest stage for their countries.
However, their clubs might see this as a silver lining, as it would give them extra time to rest and prepare for the 2026/27 Premier League season, rather than being in North America representing their nations.
Considering that Isak has been playing catch-up after a disjointed pre-season at his former club Newcastle United, essentially going on strike to force a move, it would at least put him in a better position ahead of the new campaign compared to last summer.
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