Sweden coach Graham Potter announced his World Cup squad on Tuesday but there was no place for Tottenham Hotspur forward Dejan Kulusevski, who has been out of the game for a year with a knee injury and has not recovered in time for the tournament.
There were no surprises in Potter's 26-man squad, but many observers expected the 26-year-old Kulusevski to be included if there was any chance he could play a part, but the coach closed the door on what would have amounted to a miracle return.
"A very, very difficult decision in terms of where he (Kulusevski) has been, what he's done over the last year, where he's at in terms of his rehab with four and a half weeks to go to that first game," Potter told a media conference.
"Once those games start, you're not really in a place where you can start playing in big areas, spaces and then be able to work. So it's very, very difficult to get up to where we need them to be, and so you have to make a very tough decision."
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Kulusevski's fellow forward Alexander Isak has also struggled with injury this past season, but the coach expects him to be able to deliver by the time the tournament gets underway.
"We obviously hope he finishes the season in Liverpool with some game time," Potter said. "Our challenge is to get Alex in the best moment of the season and for him to hit top form, because if he does, he's a world-class player."
Sweden endured a miserable qualifying campaign, finishing bottom of their group with two points, but their performance in UEFA Nations League C gave them a path through the playoffs where they beat Ukraine and Poland to secure their spot at the finals.
"It's incredibly exciting, a huge honour for me," Potter said before presenting the list of names. "The positive response from our supporters has been fantastic, and now we're looking forward to creating more memories together during the World Cup."
The Swedes open their Group F campaign against Tunisia in Guadalupe, Mexico on June 14 before two games across the border in Texas, against the Netherlands in Houston and Japan in Arlington.
Sweden squad:
Goalkeepers: Kristoffer Nordfeldt (AIK), Viktor Johansson (Stoke City), Jacob Widell Zetterström (Derby County)
Defenders: Daniel Svensson (Borussia Dortmund), Victor Lindelof (Aston Villa), Isak Hien (Atalanta), Carl Starfelt (Celta Vigo), Elliot Stroud (Mjallby AIF), Gustaf Lagerbielke (Braga), Gabriel Gudmundsson (Leeds United), Emil Holm (Juventus), Hjalmar Ekdal (Burnley), Erik Smith (St. Pauli)
Midfielders & forwards: Taha Ali (Malmo FF), Yasin Ayari (Brighton & Hove Albion), Lucas Bergvall (Tottenham Hotspur), Anthony Elanga (Newcastle United), Viktor Gyokeres (Arsenal), Jesper Karlstrom (Udinese), Gustaf Nilsson (Club Brugge), Benjamin Nygren (Celtic), Mattias Svanberg (VfL Wolfsburg), Besfort Zeneli (Royale Union Saint-Gilloise), Alexander Isak (Liverpool), Alexander Bernhardsson (Holstein Kiel), Ken Sema (Pafos)