Benfica’s Nordic star omitted from squad: "Tough decision" | OneFootball

This Tuesday, the first call-up of Graham Potter as the Swedish national team coach was announced, and one decision caught the attention of many, especially Samuel Dahl. The Englishman left out the left-back from Benfica to call up the debutant Elliot Stroud, one of the highlights of the surprising champion Mjallby.

Regarding the absence of the number 26, an undisputed starter for the Eagles, Graham Potter explained: "It was a complicated decision. We have many good players and I decided to bet on Elliot based on what I have seen from him, he is doing very well with Mjallby. It had nothing to do with Samuel Dahl, I just felt that Stroud deserved a chance."

However, in the list of 26 called-up players, some familiar names to the Portuguese championship stand out. Such as Viktor Gyokeres, former Sporting player; Gustaf Lagerbielke, a defender from Braga, and most importantly, Victor Lindelof, former Benfica defender.

The Swedish national team is thus preparing to visit Ukraine on March 26, in Valencia. If they win, they will face Poland or Albania to secure a spot in Group F of the World Cup 2026, alongside the Netherlands, Japan, and Tunisia.

This season, playing for Benfica, Samuel Dahl - valued at 9 million euros - has already played a total of 45 official matches: 25 in the Liga Portugal Betclic, 13 in the Champions League, four in the Portuguese Cup, two in the League Cup, and one in the Super Cup.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇵🇹 here.