Mellberg to miss Sweden qualifiers

Mellberg to miss Sweden qualifiers

Published Aug. 23, 2011 4:24 p.m. ET

Central defender Olof Mellberg will miss Sweden's 2012 European Championship qualifiers against Hungary and San Marino.

Sweden coach Erik Hamren presented Sweden's 22-man squad for the two games Tuesday, saying Mellberg will be replaced by Genoa's Andreas Granqvist.

Mellberg injured his knee while playing for his Greek club Olympiakos against Inter on Sunday.

AC Milan striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic, who scored a hat trick for Sweden in its last qualifier against Finland, was also included in the squad despite struggling with an ankle problem.

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Sweden, which is second in Group A after Holland, plays Hungary in Budapest on Sept. 2, and San Marino on Stadio di Serravalle Sept. 6.

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Squad:

Goalkeepers: Andreas Isaksson (PSV Eindhoven), Johan Wiland (FC Copenhagen).

Defenders: Mikael Antonsson (FC Copenhagen), Andreas Granqvist (Genoa), Mikael Lustig (Rosenborg), Daniel Majstorovic (Celtic), Jonas Olsson (West Bromwich Albion), Behrang Safari (Anderlecht), Oscar Wendt (Borussia Moenchengladbach).

Midfielders: Emir Bajrami (Twente), Rasmus Elm (AZ Alkmaar), Tobias Hysen (IFK Goteborg), Kim Kallstrom (Lyon), Sebastian Larsson (Sunderland), Martin Olsson (Blackburn), Anders Svensson (Elfsborg), Ola Toivonen (PSV Eindhoven), Pontus Wernbloom (AZ Alkmaar), Christian Wilhelmsson (Al Hilal).

Forwards: Zlatan Ibrahimovic (AC Milan), Johan Elmander (Galatasaray), Alexander Gerndt (Utrecht).

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