Swedish national team goalkeeper Viktor Johansson has suffered a shoulder injury and missed Stoke's New Year's Day match against Hull. Coach Mark Robins believes surgery is likely, meaning Johansson will be sidelined for some time. The injury comes at an inopportune moment ahead of Sweden's World Cup playoff against Ukraine on March 26.
Viktor Johansson, the 27-year-old goalkeeper for Stoke City and the Swedish national team, injured his shoulder during Monday's match against Sheffield United. Despite the injury, he completed the full game in the English Championship but missed the team's away fixture against Hull on New Year's Day.
Stoke coach Mark Robins commented on the injury in an interview with the Stoke Sentinel: "It doesn't look good. It looks like he probably needs surgery. So he'll be out for a while." Robins also praised Johansson as "a great guy and a top goalkeeper" and expressed support for a swift return, noting that the timeline could vary significantly.
In the Hull match, Johansson was replaced by 21-year-old Tommy Simkin, whom Stoke recalled from a loan at Leyton Orient. The club has not provided an exact prognosis for Johansson's absence.
The injury hits the Swedish national team hard with just under three months until the World Cup playoff against Ukraine in Valencia on March 26. Stars like Dejan Kulusevski and Alexander Isak are already sidelined.
