Gabriel Gudmundsson has proven to be one of Leeds United’s best signings from last summer, adapting seamlessly to life in the Premier League and quickly becoming a fan favourite at Elland Road.
His impressive performances also strengthened his reputation on the international stage, with the defender expected to play an important role for Sweden at the World Cup in North America.
However, there are major doubts surrounding his availability for Sweden’s opening match against Tunisia later tonight.
Gudmundsson missed the final weeks of Leeds’ season through injury but used the time to recover and prepare for international duty. He returned to action in a pre-tournament friendly before suffering an illness that confined him to his hotel room since last weekend.
The good news is that the left-back has now returned to training. Sweden manager Graham Potter confirmed that Gudmundsson is available for selection, although he stopped short of guaranteeing him a place in the starting line-up.
“Everyone is available,” Potter said during his pre-match press conference.
“If he [Gudmundsson] does well in training today, he should be able to play.”
Despite the positive update, it remains difficult to see Gudmundsson starting against Tunisia. After recovering from both injury and illness and having completed only a single day of training with the squad, Sweden may decide against risking him from the outset.
Given how important he has become for both club and country, a place on the bench appears the more likely outcome, with the Leeds United defender potentially eased back into action as the tournament progresses.
