Leeds United‘s Gabriel Gudmundsson has calmed concern after going off injured in Sweden’s 5-1 win over Tunisia on Sunday.
The left-back started in the first group stage fixture of the World Cup. However, he left the pitch in the 65th minute and Mjällby AIF’s Elliot Stroud came on to replace him.
Fotbollskanalen state the Leeds United player was limping towards the bench, resulting in concern over his involvement in the tournament.
After the match, Graham Potter said he suffered cramps. The 27-year-old was also quick to provide a positive update on his situation.
“There was no injury,” he said.
What led to Leeds United player’s cramps
Last week, Gabriel Gudmundsson missed a few training sessions with the national team due to illness.
On June 9th, we relayed news of the Leeds United defender falling ill while with Sweden.
Two days later, Sweden press officer Petra Thorén confirmed his absence from training. At the same time, the representative refused to go into the details of his illness. The defender’s teammates were also unaware of what forced him to isolate.
Gudmundsson returned to training on Friday and made himself available for selection for Sunday’s win.
Speaking to Fotbollskanalen, he explained missing trainings last week resulted in cramps against Tunisia.
“It was quite noticeable to me. It hasn’t been an entirely optimal week for me. But I trained with the team again on Friday and got two good sessions,” Gudmundsson explained.
“The circumstances with the weather [heat and humidity] may have played a small role, but regardless, it felt good.”
Leeds United player wants to keep it secret
Gabriel Gudmundsson had to isolate himself in a hotel, away from his teammates and the rest of the group. He’s happy to have put this behind him.
“It was dark. It was dark days. I downloaded a lot of series before we flew to the US, and I managed to burn them all in two or three days. I had to isolate myself, sleep a lot and just take care of my body,” he added.
When asked about the nature of his illness, Gudmundsson said: “I don’t want to go into it. It’s better to keep it secret.”
Sweden are leading the group table and face the Netherlands in their next fixture on June 20th.
