Test your football knowledge in our World Cup Quiz

Larsson Joins Ibrahimovic On Injury List As Sweden Prepares For Qualifiers V Croatia & Iceland

Submitted by Scott Harkness on Wed, 05/10/2005 - 19:40.

Sweden’s National squad have suffered yet another injury set-back ahead of their European Zone Group 8 games against Croatia in Zagreb on Saturday, and Iceland next Wednesday.

Coach Lars Lagerback now has two strikers unlikely to be fit for the World Cup qualifying match against Croatia.

Barcelona striker Henrik Larsson is now a major doubt for Sweden's World Cup qualifier in Croatia on Saturday after injuring his knee during training.

Larsson limped off the field during Wednesday's training session with the National team at their training camp in Vienna, and is now receiving medical treatment.

He is joined on the injury list by Juventus striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic, who is currently nursing a knee injury he picked up during Juventus’ 2-0 win over Inter Milan.

Arsenal FC midfielder Freddie Ljungberg is also struggling with an Achilles tendon injury, and will undergo a fitness test before the match.

Coach Lagerback has called on Greek side Panathinaikos’ defender Mikael Nilsson as a replacement for Rosenborg's Mikael Dorsin for Sweden's World Cup qualifiers against Croatia and Iceland.

Sweden currently top Europe Zone Group 8 on 21 points, one ahead of Croatia. They are the only teams in the group still in the running for places in the 2006 finals in Germany, with both teams getting either direct qualification as winners, or through the play-offs as runners-up.

In their final qualifiers next Wednesday, The Swedes play Croatia in Zagreb on October 8 and Iceland in Stockholm four days later.

Sweden Squad (team to be chosen from):

Goalkeepers: Andreas Isaksson (Stade Rennes), Eddie Gustafsson (Ham-Kam Fotball)

Defenders: Christoffer Andersson (Lillestrom), Mikael Nilsson (Panathinaikos), Erik Edman (Stade Rennes), Petter Hansson (Heerenveen), Teddy Lucic (BK Hacken), Olof Mellberg (Aston Villa), Alexander Ostlund (Feyenoord)

Midfielders: Niclas Alexandersson (IFK Gothenburg), Daniel Andersson (Malmo), Kim Kallstrom (Stade Rennes), Tobias Linderoth (FC Copenhagen), Fredrik Ljungberg (Arsenal), Anders Svensson (Elfsborg), Christian Wilhelmsson (Anderlecht)

Forwards: Marcus Allback (FC Copenhagen), Johan Elmander (Brondby), Zlatan Ibrahimovic (Juventus)*, Mattias Jonson (Djurgarden), Henrik Larsson (Barcelona)*, Markus Rosenberg (Ajax)

(* Unlikely to start through injury)