Isak and Gyokeres both to start as Sweden aim for positive World Cup send off

Gyokeres (centre) and Isak (right) ahead of their last start together in October
Gyokeres (centre) and Isak (right) ahead of their last start together in OctoberMICHAEL ERICHSEN/BILDBYRĹN / Shutterstock Editorial / Profimedia

Alexander Isak and Viktor Gyokeres will both start for Sweden in their final World Cup warm-up match this evening (4th June, 19:00 CEST) at home to Greece, head coach Graham Potter has revealed.

It will be the first time the two star strikers will start up front together since the 1-0 home defeat to Kosovo in October, a World Cup qualifier which turned out to be Jon Dahl Tomasson's final match in charge of Sweden.

Therefore, the meeting with Greece in Solna will be the one and only time Potter will see the two in partnership ahead of the World Cup. The decision goes against a previous statement from the Swedish Football Federation, which claimed Gyokeres would not play in either warm-up match.

Recurring injuries had kept Isak out of the Sweden squad for the matches in November and the play-offs in March, while Gyokeres was not involved in the defeat to Norway last weekend owing to his involvement in the UEFA Champions League final for Arsenal.

Potter saw Isak's capabilities first hand in Oslo, where the Liverpool man came off the bench to score a wonderful - albeit, consolation - goal in a 3-1 defeat, but getting the chance to see them together will be invaluable to the head coach.

"They are two fantastic players. It is very important to have them together on the pitch and to build a relationship, to see how we can best use them, how we can organise the team and get the best out of them," Potter said at the pre-match press conference.

One match on the eve of the tournament may not be much time for the two to gel together, but according to captain Victor Lindelof, every minute counts: "It's positive if they get minutes together, and the more matches we get to play together the better."

After the disappointment against rivals Norway when Blagult were 3-0 down at the break, Lindelof wanted to stress the teams determination to show their true colours.

"We want to get to a higher level than last time against Norway. We want to go out and show the Swedish people what a team we are and that we are ready for the World Cup. Hopefully it will be a different Sweden tomorrow, and we will have a good feeling going into the World Cup."

Nordfeldt and Gudmundsson in for Sweden

Also returning to the starting XI for the meeting with Greece will be first-choice goalkeeper Kristoffer Nordfeldt, coming in for Jacob Widell Zetterstrom, while a surprise starter will be centre-back Gabriel Gudmundsson.

A thigh problem kept Gudmundsson out of the Leeds United team for the Premier League run-in and the Norway match, but Potter confirmed his inclusion for the meeting with the Greeks: "Gabriel will start. It has been part of the plan."

Follow Sweden vs Greece and all the World Cup warm-up matches on Flashscore.