Sweden's Lundkvist Ruled Out of World Cup Due to Ankle Injury

 

Sweden's defender Hanna Lundkvist will miss the Women's World Cup due to an ankle injury she sustained during her team's final friendly match against the Philippines on Monday. The Swedish Football Association (SvFF) confirmed the news.

The 21-year-old suffered the injury during a closed-doors 5-1 victory over the Philippines. Despite the efforts of Sweden's medical team, she won't recover in time to participate in the tournament.

Team doctor Houman Ebrahimi stated on Tuesday, "After further examination in the evening, it is unfortunate to announce that Hanna won't be able to participate in the World Cup. The nature of the injury requires more time for recovery than the duration of the tournament."

Linkoping FC's Stina Lennartsson will replace Lundkvist and join the team ahead of their opening match against South Africa in Wellington on Sunday.