Sweden manager Graham Potter has moved to calm any developing controversy over the prolonged absence of Fulham’s Hugo Larsson from the squad.
The Sweden manager this week announced his squad for the extended international break.
The squad announcement raises eyebrows in some quarters due to two names who weren’t on the list – Williot Swedberg and Hugo Larsson. The former has been impressing at Celta Vigo while Larsson is now at Fulham, after previously being a regular at Eintracht Frankfurt.
Continued absence
Despite this, neither player travelled with Sweden to the World Cup and, now they’re missing from the squad again. That’s led to some questions being asked, but Potter wants to play that down early.
“In Hugo’s case, it’s a matter of me sticking with the same midfielders,” he said about the Fulham man.
“Hugo has made a big move and hasn’t played that much football. It’s important for him to adapt to a new league and a new club.”
The absence of both players now, and in the past, has led to criticism though. But Potter insists that there are “logical explanations” for both “even if people don’t agree”.
“There’s nothing negative about them; we’ve simply chosen other players. That’s part of football. I’m sure they’re disappointed. It is entirely my decision.”
Challenge set
It seems, then, that Larsson has some work to do. At this point, Potter appears to have little interest in any criticism that’s coming his way.
Instead, this feels like a bit of a gauntlet being laid down for Larsson. Get in Fulham’s team, make an impression and make it impossible for me to leave you out.
Whether he can do that, remains to be seen. For now, he’ll have to watch the international break from home like the rest of us.
| Every Fulham signing 26/27 | Previous Club | Fee |
|---|---|---|
| Gonzalo García | Real Madrid | £34.2m |
| Shea Charles | Southampton | £24m |
| David Affengruber | Elche | £10.3m |
| César Palacios | Real Madrid | £8.5m |
| Jonah Kusi-Asare | Bayern Munich | £5.2m |
| Manuel Ángel | Real Madrid | £3m |
| Hugo Larsson | Eintracht Frankfurt | Loan |
The Sweden squad is as follows:
Viktor Johansson (Stoke City), Noel Törnqvist (Monza), Melker Ellborg (Sunderland)
Hjalmar Ekdal (Burnley), Gustaf Lagerbielke (Braga), Hampus Skoglund (Hammarby), Victor Nilsson Lindelöf (Aston Villa, captain), Daniel Svensson (Borussia Dortmund), Carl Starfelt (Celta Vigo), Gabriel Gudmundsson (Leeds United), Elliot Stroud (Hull City), Emil Holm (Bologna)
Taha Ali (PAOK), Yasin Ayari (Brighton), Lucas Bergvall (Tottenham), Alexander Bernhardsson (Wolfsburg), Viktor Gyökeres (Arsenal), Alexander Isak (Liverpool), Jesper Karlström (Udinese), Sebastian Nanasi (Strasbourg), Gustaf Nilsson (Hertha Berlin), Benjamin Nygren (Celtic), Mattias Svanberg (Wolfsburg), Patrik Wålemark (Lech Poznań), Besfort Zeneli (Union Saint-Gilloise)
🇩🇪 Mikey Moore | Everton and Fulham were prepared to pay €30m for Tottenham player in the summer, but 19-year-old thought a loan move to Bundesliga was the better option https://t.co/dKLW3g9z00 #efc #ffc #fulhamfc #thfc
— Sport Witness (@Sport_Witness) September 16, 2026
