Sweden have one last opportunity to claim their first victory in Group B of 2026 World Cup qualifying when they host Slovenia tomorrow night, though the match is far from a free hit for Blågult despite their playoff spot already being secured.

Graham Potter will be eager to record a maiden win in charge after a second-half collapse led to a 4-1 defeat against Switzerland in his first outing. However, several factors could complicate Sweden’s quest for three points and potentially create problems ahead of the playoffs.

Nine members of the current squad carry a yellow card each, meaning another booking against Slovenia (20:45 CET) would rule them out of the playoff semi-final in March. A straight red card could bring a ban of one to three matches, depending on the severity of the offense.

In addition, Anthony Elanga—one of the sharpest critics of Potter’s predecessor Jon Dahl Tomasson—has withdrawn from the squad due to personal reasons. Emil Holm is also sidelined with a groin injury sustained against Switzerland at Strawberry Arena in Solna.

Elanga and Holm are the latest absentees following Lucas Bergvall and Hugo Larsson last week. Goalkeeper Viktor Johansson also missed training and is being closely monitored.

“He’s recovering today. We’ll see how he reacts and then make the decision that’s best for us,” Potter said regarding Johansson.

Johansson is one of the nine players on a yellow card; the others are Emil Krafth, Gustaf Lagerbielke, Isak Hien, Alexander Isak, Alexander Bernhardsson, Emil Forsberg, Yasin Ayari, and Jesper Karlstrom. With so many key players at risk of suspension, Potter faces a delicate selection challenge.

“That’s really something we have to decide. First I have to figure out which players can play as we recover from the game on Saturday. There are a lot of decisions that have to be made leading up to the game,” Potter said. “The match in March is important, but we also want to end this on a positive note and win the match tomorrow.”

Sweden have lost all four matches since conceding a late equalizer to Slovenia in the reverse fixture in September, with two defeats each against Switzerland and Kosovo, leaving them eager to turn their fortunes around at home.