Isak Hien ruled out of Poland playoff final as Sweden's injury list grows

Sweden centre-back Isak Hien has been ruled out of Tuesday's 2026 World Cup playoff final against Poland.

A starter at the heart of defence alongside captain Victor Lindelof in Thursday's 3-1 semi-final win over Ukraine, Hien was forced off after 37 minutes after suffering a thigh injury.

The Atalanta man has not been able to train since and it has now been confirmed that he will not be involved in the Poland game and has left the Swedish camp.

No replacement has been added to the squad. Carl Starfelt is the most likely addition to the starting line-up for the match in Solna, as he came on for the injured Hien in Valencia on Thursday.

The 27-year-old has been one of the most regular performers for Blagult over the past 12 months and more, even captaining the side on a few occasions in Lindelof's absence. It remains to be seen how long Atalanta will be without his services.

A Viktor Gyokeres hat-trick sealed Sweden's passage to the final, and Graham Potter's side may need a repeat performance from the Arsenal man, as Hien is the latest in a long line of injuries, with Alexander Isak, Emil Holm, Dejan Kulusevski and Emil Krafth just a handful of the names not involved this month.

Poland came through their semi-final with Albania with no fresh injury problems.

Read Flashscore's preview of the match.

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