After being omitted from the squad for the November international window amid speculation of tensions with manager Jon Dahl Tomasson, Anthony Elanga has made his return to the Swedish national team for the March international window.
The Nottingham Forest winger has been brought back into the fold for Sweden’s friendly matches against Luxembourg and Northern Ireland as they aim to prepare for the qualification process for the 2026 World Cup.
His inclusion provides a timely boost for the team, particularly with Dejan Kulusevski sidelined due to a foot injury, marking him as the only significant absentee from the squad.
Also making a return is goalkeeper Robin Olsen, who last received a call-up in October and has recently resumed his role between the posts for Aston Villa.
Although there are no competitive fixtures scheduled for this month, Tomasson has opted against making extensive changes to his roster, indicating his satisfaction with the current selection of players.
There is one fresh face in the squad: Besfort Zeneli of Elfsborg, who has earned recognition following a strong performance in the UEFA Europa League.
The 22-year-old, hailing from Sater, has opted to switch his international allegiance to Sweden after previously representing Kosovo at the under-21 level.
Tomasson once again benefits from a plethora of attacking options, with Alexander Isak and Viktor Gyokeres included, while centre-back Victor Lindelof will take on the role of captain.
With five victories and a draw recorded between September and November, Sweden secured promotion from League C of the UEFA Nations League, and they will be striving to maintain this momentum as they embark on their World Cup qualifying (WCQ) campaign in September.
The team takes their three-match winning streak to the Stade de Luxembourg on March 22 (18:00 CET) to face Luxembourg, who also shone in the UEFA Euro 2024 qualification process, amassing 17 points—seven more than Sweden.
On March 25, Sweden will host Northern Ireland at the Strawberry Arena in Solna for another friendly, set to kick off at 19:00 CET.
In WCQ, Sweden will need to outperform Slovenia, Switzerland, and Kosovo in Group B to secure an automatic qualification spot for the 2026 tournament.
The full Sweden squad:
Goalkeepers: Victor Johansson, Christopher Nordfeldt, Robin Olsen
Defenders: Samuel Dahl, Hjalmar Ekdahl, Gabriel Gudmundsson, Isaac Hien, Gustaf Lagerbielke, Victor Lindelof, Ken Sema, Carl Starfelt
Midfielders: Yasin Ayari, Lucas Bergvall, Hugo Bolin, Jesper Karlstrom, Hugo Larsson, Anton Saletros, Besfort Zeneli
Forwards: Anthony Elanga, Niclas Eliasson, Viktor Gyokeres, Alexander Isak, Sebastian Nanasi
Compiled by SportArena.com.au.
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