Isak Hien Misses Sweden's World Cup Playoff Final Against Poland

Sweden lose defender Hien to injury

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

Graham Potter's Sweden takes on Poland in Solna, with key players like Isak Hien and Alexander Isak missing due to injury...

Sweden's defense is taking a hit! Isak Hien, their centre-back, has been ruled out of Tuesday's World Cup playoff final against Poland due to a thigh injury. He was forced off in the 37th minute of Sweden's 3-1 win over Ukraine on Thursday.

Hien's injury is the latest blow to Sweden's squad, which is already dealing with other injuries. Carl Starfelt is likely to take his place in the starting lineup. 

Atalanta's Isak Hien has been ruled out of Sweden's friendly against Poland due to injury and has left the Swedish camp. He's not been training since the issue arose, and no replacement has been named.

𝗧𝗲𝗮𝗺 🇸🇪 pic.twitter.com/Fu9J0ka75M

— Svensk Fotboll (@svenskfotboll) March 29, 2026

Carl Starfelt's likely to start in Hien's place in Solna, given he came on as a sub for Hien in the Valencia match on Thursday. Starfelt's fit and ready, having recently joined the Swedish national team.

Hien's been a rock for Sweden, stepping up big time in Lindelof's absence and even captaining the side a few times. Now, Atalanta's facing a wait without him.

Sweden's got a tough road ahead, especially with Isak Hien's injury adding to their list of absences. The Atalanta defender's thigh injury means he'll miss Tuesday's World Cup playoff final against Poland, joining a long list of injured players including Alexander Isak, Emil Holm, Dejan Kulusevski, and Emil Krafth.

Sweden's World Cup playoff final blow, Hien injured

Viktor Gyokeres' hat-trick against Ukraine was a game-changer, but Sweden might need another standout performance from him to overcome Poland. Graham Potter's side is facing a challenging time with key players missing, but they're still eyeing a spot in the World Cup.

Gyökeres tre mål 😮‍💨 pic.twitter.com/zS6KVzmeQ1

— Svensk Fotboll (@svenskfotboll) March 28, 2026

Poland's semi-final win against Albania was a relief, with no new injuries to report. They came from behind to beat Albania 2-1, thanks to goals from Robert Lewandowski and Piotr Zielinski, setting them up for the World Cup playoff final against Sweden.