Gabriel Gudmundsson stays away from Sweden curse to avoid Leeds United injury
Gabriel Gudmundsson will hope to continue his superb form with Leeds United for Sweden in the World Cup qualifiers.
The left-back signed for the Whites in the summer from LOSC Lille and has become a constant fixture in the starting lineup in LS11.
Gudmundsson was a priority target at Elland Road and has lived up to expectations so far at the West Yorkshire outfit.
Daniel Farke does have Sam Byram at his disposal, but he arguably wouldn’t want to be without the Sweden international for a considerable period at the Peacocks.
Leeds United defender Gabriel Gudmundsson jokes about curse of Sweden captaincy
Gudmundsson quipped he’s staying away from the captain’s armband at Sweden to avoid injury.
Jon Dahl Tomasson recently joked that the Swedish captaincy may be cursed, as Victor Lindelof, Dejan Kulusevski and Isak Hien, who are part of the leadership group, aren’t fit to play right now.
This led to Gudmundsson’s jest, who further admitted that he doesn’t think about being the captain for Blagult, with Liverpool’s Alexander Isak set to lead them.
Speaking to the media via FotbollDirekt on 10 October, the 26-year-old defender said: “I stay away from [the captaincy] so I don’t get injured. It’s not something I’m thinking about. We have good players at a very high level, and [Isak] has played longer in the national team than I have, so it’s nothing strange.”
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Junior Firpo’s departure from Elland Road meant that the West Yorkshire outfit needed to strengthen the left side of their defence, and they probably couldn’t have done better than Gudmundsson.
The left-back has been an influential part of a defence that has managed to keep two clean sheets in the Premier League after seven matches.
Sam Byram contract to not be renewed at Elland Road
James Justin’s versatility at Elland Road may prove game-changing this season, with the English defender capable of playing in multiple positions.
The 27-year-old was signed from Leicester City in the previous transfer window, and he made a name for himself at the King Power Stadium, being comfortable across the backline.
| Gabriel Gudmundsson | Premier League statistics | Riccardo Calafiori |
| 7 | Appearances | 7 |
| 0.9 | Interceptions | 0.6 |
| 2.1 | Tackles | 1.6 |
| 3.6 | Clearances | 1.9 |
| 4.3 (50.8%) | Ground duels won | 2.6 (52.9%) |
| 0.9 | Successful dribbles | 0.3 |
With Justin’s ability to play at left-back, Leeds may decide not to extend Byram’s contract, which expires in 2026, further.
Farke has a competitive squad at his disposal at Elland Road, and fans expect to survive Premier League relegation, which Gudmundsson will undoubtedly play a key role in.
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