Eric Smith
St. PauliCB (CM)
Driving Centre Back
Jan 8, 1997 (29)
Right
6'4"
190 lb
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Doubt for Netherlands clash
Smith missed collective training in Houston ahead of the Netherlands match after feeling discomfort in Thursday's session and is now training individually, with his availability still uncertain, according to Sportsbladet.
Analysis: Smith has been forced to withdraw from several national team camps due to injury in recent months and now faces another fitness concern ahead of the match against the Netherlands. The midfielder picked up a knock during Thursday's closed training session in Dallas and worked individually on Friday, missing the collective session in Houston the day before the game. Press manager Petra Thoren stopped short of ruling him out, confirming the medical team will assess him on Saturday morning before a final decision is made.
Plays for national team
Smith (undisclosed) started and played 45 minutes for Sweden during Monday's loss to Norway in their preparation for the World Cup.
Analysis: Smith recovered from a minor issue that forced him to miss the last Bundesliga game of the season, and he's now expected to be in contention with Victor Lindelof and Ken Sema for minutes at the international level. The versatile player has recently featured as a central defender or midfielder for St. Pauli, delivering a rare combination of high clearance numbers along with set-piece tasks. While he might lack corner kicks and perhaps see limited minutes for his country, he could still be trusted for defensive production whenever he's on the pitch.
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