Sweden name 26-man Euro 2020 squad without injured Zlatan Ibrahimovic

Sweden name 26-man Euro 2020 squad without injured Zlatan Ibrahimovic
By The Athletic Staff
May 18, 2021

Sweden have named their 26-man squad for the upcoming European Championship but there is no place for the injured Zlatan Ibrahimovic.

Ibrahimovic came out of international retirement earlier this year after not featuring for Sweden since their Euro 2016 exit, but a knee injury means he will not represent them this summer.

There is, however, a first major international tournament call-up for 23-year-old striker Jordan Larsson — the son of Swedish legend Henrik.

Sweden will face Spain, Poland and Slovakia in Group E of Euro 2020.

Why has Ibrahimovic missed out?

The 39-year-old has struggled with injuries at AC Milan this season and has been restricted to just 19 Serie A appearances.

In a 3-0 win over Juventus two weeks ago, Ibrahimovic was substituted with a knee injury. It’s understood he was recommended to undergo a cautious rehabilitation process that could last six weeks.

There were hopes that Ibrahimovic would recover in time for the tournament, but the Swedish national side confirmed on Sunday that the striker would not be available for the tournament.

Are there any UK-based players?

There is decent representation in the Sweden side from players plying their trade on British soil.

In total, six players in the squad are currently playing in either England or Scotland.

From the Premier League, there is Manchester United's Victor Lindelof, Everton's Robin Olsen and Newcastle's Emil Krafth. From the Championship, Brentford's Pontus Jansson and Watford's Ken Sema are included.

There is also a place for Rangers' Filip Helander, while Premier League fans will find other familiar faces in former Sunderland midfielder Sebastian Larsson and ex-Blackburn left-back Martin Olsson.

What is the full squad?

Goalkeepers: Robin Olsen (Everton), Karl-Johan Johansson (FC Copehnhagen), Kristoffer Nordfeldt (Genclerbirligi);

Defenders: Mikael Lustig (AIK), Victor Lindelof (Manchester United), Andreas Granqvist (Helsingborgs IF), Martin Olsson (BK Hacken), Ludwig Augustinsson (Werder Bremen), Filip Helander (Rangers), Emil Krafth (Newcastle), Pontus Jansson (Brentford), Marcus Danielson (Dalian Professional);

Midfielders: Sebastian Larsson (AIK), Albin Ekdal (Sampdoria), Marcus Berg (IFK Goteborg), Emil Forsberg (RB Leipzig), Alexander Isak (Real Sociedad), Gustav Svensson (Guangzhou City), Ken Sema (Watford), Viktor Claesson (Krasnodar), Mattias Svanberg (Bologna), Kristoffer Olsson (Krasnodar);

Forwards: Dejan Kulusevski (Juventus) Robin Quaison (Mainz 05), Jordan Larsson (Spartak Moscow), Jens Cajuste (FC Midtjylland).

(Photo: FRANCK FIFE/AFP via Getty Images)

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