Anthony Elanga was tipped to be sidelined for Sweden’s World Cup opener against Tunisia on Monday after a photographed reserve line-up appeared to place him at striker. The image added another twist to a week that had already left his knee status under scrutiny.
Seb Larsson and the 4-4-2 sheet
Seb Larsson was pictured with a 4-4-2 formation that included Elanga as a striker. Sportbladet suggested the likely line-up against Tunisia would feature Alexander Isak and Viktor Gyokeres together in attack, with Benjamin Nygren as a possible wide player.
That leaves Elanga in an awkward position. The photographed sheet points one way, while the likely attacking shape points another, and the practical reading is simple: he was not being treated as a certain starter for the opener.
Newcastle United form
The uncertainty followed a poor season with Newcastle United after his £55million move from Nottingham Forest. He failed to score in the Premier League all season, managed one goal in all competitions, and that strike came in the League Cup tie against Man City.
By the end of the campaign he was on the bench for Newcastle United, a finish that made a World Cup place carry extra weight for him. A strong tournament would have offered a clean reset after a club season that never caught fire.
Greece knee scare
Earlier this week, Elanga clashed knees with an opponent against Greece and was reportedly taken to hospital for tests. He later said: “When you get pain in your knee, you can get worried, but it feels good. It feels calm. The pain will go away in a day or two. It's completely okay.”
He is 24, and the timing of that knock matters because it sits right next to Sweden’s opening match. The reserve-line-up photo and the knee scare now pull in the same direction, making his role against Tunisia look limited rather than central.
Sweden can still change its attack before kickoff, but the evidence in front of them points away from Elanga starting. If he does miss out, the first question for him will be how quickly he can turn this into a short setback instead of the first flat chapter of his World Cup.
