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It was an opportunity to include Blackstenius in the European Championship qualifiers, admitted the captain of the national team, Peter Gerhardsson, when he introduced the squad. But the 24-year-old was worth taking away despite the injury, a tear in the back of his thigh, which he sustained in late August.
– It may be the last ten minutes against Iceland that decide this entire qualifier for the European Championship. We want to open up the possibility of having her on the team, Gerhardsson said at the time.
In the stands at the end
On Thursday, Stina Blackstenius sat in the stands as Sweden crushed Hungary 8-0. And with two days left before the group final against Iceland, the situation remains uncertain, even though he trained with the rest of the team in Reykjavik on Sunday.
– It’s very difficult to tell if I’m ready. You want to get as involved as possible, but I also have to be healthy and think that you really should be a hundred years old, says Stina Blackstenius.
Between the lines, he seems to have a hard time playing against Iceland, at least from the start.
– It is a delicate injury, I had not had a break like this in a year before. Compared to previous injuries, I think it’s a bit different. That’s it, I’m not really sure with this type of injury.
– For me, it’s about not making stupid decisions and not risking anything. Because there will be big games directly at the damallsvenskan when we get home, and there is a new camp of national teams in October, which I intend to join. And then it is important not to make any stupid decisions to be absent for weeks more.
Many options
National team assistant captain Magnus Wikman says they won’t take chances with Blackstenius if the injury risks getting worse. Especially without considering the options available. Rosengård’s Anna Anvegård is in great shape and scored three goals against Hungary, and the team also have other attacking options in the form of Gothenburg duo Pauline Hammarlund and Rebecka Blomqvist, as well as Anvegård’s clubmate Mimmi Larsson, who also had injury problems.
– That type of muscle strain is not something you can risk because then it increases again. So the medical team has to decide. Since then, Stina and Mimmi haven’t played matches in a few weeks and that should be taken into account as well. But most likely we won’t, says Magnus Wikman.
