“I panicked a bit” – Aston Villa’s Victor Lindelöf on unusual fitness issue against Japan

Aston Villa‘s Victor Lindelöf had an injury scare after going off the pitch in Sweden’s draw with Japan early on Friday.

The centre-back has captained the national team at the World Cup and played the full 90 minutes in the first two matches.

The Aston Villa player man started alongside Yasin Ayari in midfield yesterday. However, he couldn’t finish because of cramps and had to leave the pitch in the 87th minute.

Aston Villa player never experienced it before 

After the match, the versatile player spoke to media to provide an update on his fitness and Fotbollskanalen have relayed his comments.

Victor Lindelöf was lying on the grass before Celta Vigo’s Carl Starfelt replaced him. This would have raised the alarm bells, but the Aston Villa man has now calmed things down.

“It was a cramp I had never felt before. It was tight and it was frustrating not to be able to finish the match. But after a little treatment, there are no problems,” he said.

“I have had cramps many times in my career, but this cramp was something different.”

“It was a double cramp. Both calves. I panicked a bit there. It didn’t go away. Then the referee came in the middle of everything and said I had to stand up. That’s when I was about to lose it.”

How he feels about position change

Last season, Unai Emery mainly used him as a centre-back and at times as a right-back and a defensive midfielder.

Earlier this month, the 31-year-old said he won’t operate as a midfielder with Sweden.

At that time, he said: “I’m here as a centre-back. We in Sweden have enough good midfielders. Potter and I have not discussed it.”

Surprisingly, Graham Potter started the Aston Villa player as a defensive midfielder to face Japan. However, he moved back to the centre-back position, after Isak Hien left the pitch in the 37th minute.

On starting as a defensive midfielder, Victor Lindelöf explained: “It has always been an option if he [Potter] wanted to do it. But we spoke yesterday [day before the match] and he asked how I saw it. I said there were no problems.

“The team he thinks is best for the match applies. The position he wants me to play in, that’s where I play.”