Leeds United defender Gabriel Gudmundsson has suffered an untimely setback ahead of the World Cup after falling ill during Sweden’s training camp.
The 27-year-old has become a key figure for both club and country over the last year. Therefore, seeing him miss training less than a week before Sweden’s opening match against Tunisia is far from ideal.
Swedish newspaper Aftonbladet reports Gudmundsson was the only player absent from Wednesday’s session in Frisco, Texas. While the rest of Graham Potter’s squad trained as normal, the Leeds left-back remained at the team hotel.
Sweden’s press officer Petra Thorén explained: “Everyone except Gabriel Gudmundsson is taking part in training. Gabriel remains at the hotel with mild illness symptoms. The medical team is monitoring him.”
No further details have been provided about the nature of the illness. That uncertainty will naturally create some concern, given how close Sweden now are to their World Cup opener on Monday.
Frustrating timing for Leeds man
Gabriel Gudmundsson heads into the tournament after an important season with Leeds United. The left-back established himself as a regular starter and carried that status into the national team setup.
A serious injury would have been a much bigger concern, but illness can still disrupt preparations. Missing training sessions at a World Cup is never ideal, especially during the final tactical work before a tournament begins.
For now, Sweden appear relaxed about the situation. The federation described the symptoms as minor and there has been no suggestion that Gudmundsson is in danger of missing the Tunisia match.
Still, with the countdown to the World Cup now measured in days rather than weeks, Sweden will hope one of their established starters is back on the training pitch as quickly as possible.
The fact he remained at the hotel rather than training separately suggests the medical staff are taking a cautious approach. That is understandable, particularly with a long tournament potentially ahead and Sweden eager to start their campaign with a fully fit squad.
