Leeds United: Sweden media react to Gabriel Gudmundsson display on return from injury

Leeds United's Gabriel Gudmundsson has returned from injury ahead of the World Cup, but it appears he is still getting rid of the rust.

The wing-back missed the final game of the Premier League season due to a minor hamstring strain.

He was also left out of Sweden's squad for their 3-1 defeat to Norway ahead of the World Cup.

However, after being declared fit, Graham Potter handed Gudmundsson a start, and his performance did not go as hoped.

The Swedish media has since reacted to his performance against Greece, with plenty of criticism shown his way.

Gabriel Gudmundsson below par for Sweden

Gudmundsson's World Cup spot is not guaranteed, with fellow left-sided defender Daniel Svensson an option for Sweden as well.

However, against Greece, manager Potter opted to try something new with Gudmundsson as wing-back and Svensson slotting in behind him as the left centre-back in a back three.

It was an interesting experiment, but one that did not bear the fruit the Englishman likely would have wanted.

The partnership of Gudmundsson and Svensson has been criticised in the Swedish media, with the Leeds defender getting a two out of five across the board for his display.

Outlet Expressen stated: "Strong and fast on his wing, but the collaboration with Svensson left a lot to be desired. Greece's wing midfielder, Andrews Tetteh, didn't look like he was having a particularly tough day at work."

Meanwhile, Fotbollskanalen shared: "Got important playing time before the World Cup after his injury, but the wing-back didn't really get it to work in his offensive attempts along the wing."

Overall, after returning from injury, it is not the most ideal outcome for the 27-year-old, whose next match will be at the World Cup.

He will have to hope that hard work in training is enough to improve on this performance, with plenty on the line in North America.

When is Sweden's first World Cup game?

Sweden and Gudmundsson now face quite a wait before they play their next fixture, which will be against Tunisia in Guadalupe, Mexico.

The Whites defender takes on the African nation in the early hours of 15 June with a UK kick-off time of 3am.

The match-up against Tunisia is a must-win fixture, as on paper, it is the easiest for the Scandinavian outfit.

Wins against the Netherlands on 20 June and Japan on 26 June will prove to be much harder.

Sweden could theoretically qualify for the knockout stages with just one win against Tunisia.

Eight of the 12 third-place sides will progress into the round of 32 depending on their points tally and goal difference.

However, Gudmundsson will not want to leave it up to luck, and will be eyeing that top-two finish.