Aston Villa Defender Victor Lindelof Took Surgery Risk in Sweden's World Cup Qualifier
Aston Villa's Victor Lindelof has openly admitted that he took a significant risk by playing without his protective face mask during Sweden's recent World Cup qualification match. The 31-year-old centre-back discarded the mask for Sweden's play-off semi-final against Ukraine, despite acknowledging that a facial impact could have necessitated immediate surgery.
Training Ground Incident Led to Protective Measure
Lindelof began wearing the face mask earlier in March following a nasty training ground incident. "It was the day before the match against Lille… in training I got a skull in my nose," he explained to Swedish media. The defender noted that while the injury has largely healed, with bruises almost gone and his nose looking "completely okay," he had grown accustomed to the mask over nearly a week and a half of use.
Despite the protective gear, Lindelof delivered an impressive performance in Aston Villa's Europa League round of 16 second leg against Lille. He was subsequently left out of the squad for the West Ham match before the international break, with Villa manager Unai Emery clarifying this was due to squad availability following Youri Tielemans' return from injury, apart from the absent Boubacar Kamara.
Conscious Decision to Play Without Protection
For Sweden's crucial 3-1 victory over Ukraine, which secured a World Cup qualification final against Poland, Lindelof made a deliberate choice to play without the mask. "I brought it with me, but before we went out I threw it away," he stated. "It was my decision. I decide whether I want to play with it or not."
The defender acknowledged the potential consequences, saying, "If I had been hit, it would have come off again and then I would have had to have surgery on it. But it's worth it." This calculated risk paid off as Sweden advanced, with Lindelof contributing to the important win.
Looking Ahead to the World Cup Qualification Final
Speaking about the upcoming final against Poland on Tuesday night, Lindelof expressed excitement. "Fun, really fun. These are the kinds of games you always dream of playing, Swedish fans singing. It will be great and I think everyone will be very ready," he said.
He emphasized the team's focus, adding, "We know it's only halfway. We are very happy with this victory. It's nothing to take away from us. It gives a very good feeling. We know we have work to do and we have a World Cup ticket that we want to secure."
The Aston Villa defender's willingness to risk surgery for his national team underscores his commitment as Sweden aims to secure their place in the World Cup, with Lindelof playing a pivotal role despite recent injury concerns.
