Manchester United defender Victor Lindelof has withdrawn from the Sweden squad after picking up a groin problem during his country's UEFA Nations League contest with Slovakia on Saturday night.
Lindelof was forced off in the 26th minute of the clash in Group 1 of League C, and he looked in severe discomfort when he left the field, suggesting that he had suffered a potentially long-term issue.
Sweden have now confirmed that the centre-back has withdrawn from the squad ahead of Sweden's clash against Azerbaijan on Sunday night, and he will head back to Man United to be assessed by their medical staff.
Due to the nature of the issue, it is highly unlikely that Lindelof will be available for Man United's Premier League clash against Ipswich Town next weekend, which will mark Ruben Amorim's first game at the helm.
The 30-year-old has played seven times for Man United this season, but just four of those appearances have come in the Premier League, totalling just 58 minutes of league football during the 2024-25 campaign.
Victor Nilsson Lindelöf lämnar samlingen efter ljumskskadan han ådrog sig i gårdagens match.
— Svensk Fotboll (@svenskfotboll) November 17, 2024
Hoppas på ett snabbt tillfrisknande 🫶 pic.twitter.com/tQATKod9Us
Lindelof pulls out of Sweden squad with a groin problem
Lindelof was absent in the early stages of the campaign with a toe problem, but he has been involved in four of Man United's last five Premier League matches off the bench.
There is huge uncertainty when it comes to his future at Old Trafford, with his contract due to expire next June, and a fresh deal with the 20-time English champions is believed to be highly unlikely at this stage.
AC Milan have been linked with a move for Lindelof, and Zlatan Ibrahimovic, who is an advisor for the Italian giants, recently discussed a potential move for the experienced defender.
"You never know. There are a lot of rumours being spread," Ibrahimovic told TV4 when asked directly about a potential move for Lindelof to San Siro on a free transfer.
"That rumour is more because I'm Swedish and Lindelof is Swedish. He is a fantastic player. I think he is doing well at United [but] we have many good players in that position. I don't know what he wants. You can probably ask him."
© Imago
What has Lindelof said about his future?
Lindelof, speaking while on international duty with Sweden, insisted that he is not currently thinking about his future and was instead focusing on securing a regular run of games for the Red Devils.
"This is not something I think about," Lindelof told Fotbolldirekt. "My focus has been to come back from the injury and play football again. But of course, there will be writings now what will happen when I am in my last year.
"My goal is always to help the team. Now I have come back, made 90 minutes at United which has been very nice. It's a different situation for me now."
Lindelof is down the pecking order at Man United when it comes to the centre-back spots, though, and that is unlikely to change under new head coach Amorim, who played alongside the defender at Benfica.
The Swede made the move to Old Trafford from Benfica in the summer of 2017, and he has represented the Red Devils on 266 occasions in all competitions, winning the FA Cup and EFL Cup in the process.
Matt Law
