Injured Mellberg to miss Sweden qualifiers
Reuters - Tuesday 23 August 2011, 15:36
STOCKHOLM - Defender Olof Mellberg will miss
Sweden's next two Euro 2012 qualifiers with a knee injury, coach
Erik Hamren said on Tuesday.
The Olympiakos centre-back picked up the problem in a
friendly against Inter Milan.
"He's not allowed to train for the next two weeks," Hamren
told a news conference.
The coach is expected to call up Andreas Granqvist to
replace Mellberg in the squad.
Sweden's next qualifier is against Hungary in Budapest on
September 2.
"If we win that one, we'll at least make the playoffs,"
Hamren told reporters.
The nine group winners and the best second-placed team will
qualify automatically for next year's finals in Poland and
Ukraine, while the eight other runners-up will enter a two-leg
play-off for the remaining four berths.
The Swedes, who then travel to San Marino on September 6, are
second in qualifying Group E with 15 points from six games.
Their only defeat was by Netherlands, who top the group having
won all six of their matches so far.