Elmander included in Sweden's Euro squad
Reuters - Tuesday 29 May 2012, 17:29
Striker Johan Elmander was
included in Sweden's final Euro 2012 squad despite having a
fractured metatarsal bone in his right foot.
Coach Erik Hamren also picked goalkeeper Andreas Isaksson,
who has been suffering from a shoulder problem.
As Tuesday's UEFA deadline passed for the registration of
23-man squads for next month's tournament in Ukraine and Poland,
Galatasaray forward Elmander underwent an X-ray in Gothenburg to
assess the state of his injury.
"The healing is going as it should," team doctor Leif Swardh
told reporters following the X-ray.
"I increasingly hope that he will be ready to play the first
game at the Euros."
Sweden play co-hosts Ukraine in their opening Group D
fixture in Kiev on June 11 before taking on England and France.
The final Swedish squad shows no changes from that
originally announced by Hamren on May 14.
Hamren has chosen not to risk John Guidetti, who had a
sensational season on loan at Feyenoord from Manchester City.
The young forward, who netted 20 goals for the Rotterdam
club, has not yet made a full recovery from a virus.
Goalkeeper Isaksson, who kept goal in nine of Sweden's 10
qualifying games, has declared himself fit after being sidelined
by a shoulder injury since early March.
"Now it feels a lot better, I think it's good now," he told
reporters after a training session on the island of Gotland on
Sunday.
Goalkeepers: Par Hansson (Helsingborgs), Andreas Isaksson
(PSV Eindhoven), Johan Wiland (Copenhagen).
Defenders: Mikael Antonsson (Bologna), Andreas Granqvist
(Genoa), Mikael Lustig (Celtic), Olof Mellberg (Olympiakos),
Jonas Olsson (West Bromwich Albion), Martin Olsson (Blackburn
Rovers), Behrang Safari (Anderlecht).
Midfielders: Emir Bajrami (Twente Enschede), Rasmus Elm (AZ
Alkmaar), Samuel Holmen (Istanbul BB), Kim Kallstrom (Olympique
Lyon), Sebastian Larsson (Sunderland), Anders Svensson
(Elfsborg), Pontus Wernbloom (CSKA Moscow), Christian
Wilhelmsson (Al Hilal).
Forwards: Johan Elmander (Galatasaray), Tobias Hysen (IFK
Gothenburg), Zlatan Ibrahimovic (AC Milan), Markus Rosenberg
(Werder Bremen), Ola Toivonen (PSV Eindhoven).
(Editing by Mark Meadows)