Sweden manager Graham Potter joked that his team’s injury and illness problems were nearly as extensive as Manchester City’s financial rule breaches before Friday’s UEFA Nations League match against Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Sweden travel to Bosnia and Herzegovina for their third match in the competition this season, having won their opening two Group H fixtures at home against Romania and Poland. They beat Romania 2-1 before recording a 3-1 victory over Poland, results which leave them top of the group.
However, Potter will be without seven players for the away match. Five have been ruled out after suffering viral infections, while Emil Holm and Alexander Isak were injured in the opening game and have since departed the national team’s training camp.
Asked about the scale of Sweden’s absences during his pre-match news conference, Potter laughed before saying: “The number of players we have missing is almost as many as the charges Manchester City has been found guilty of.”
The comment prompted laughter from the journalists in attendance. Viktor Gyokeres, the Sweden forward seated beside Potter, also smiled at the remark.
Potter’s joke referred to the recent verdict in Manchester City’s financial case. RMC Sport reported that the club had been found to have breached 114 relevant rules.
The Sweden manager previously faced Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City several times while in charge of Brighton between 2019 and 2022. He subsequently managed Chelsea and West Ham United before taking over the national side.
This summer, Potter led Sweden at the 2026 World Cup. Their campaign ended with a 0-3 defeat by France in the Round of 32.
Despite the depleted squad, Sweden remain in a strong position in Group H after their victories over Romania and Poland. Friday’s match in Bosnia and Herzegovina will be their third UEFA Nations League fixture of the season.