Ibrahimovic to deputise as Sweden captain

Stockholm: Sweden’s Zlatan Ibrahimovic will stand in as captain in place of injured fellow striker Henrik Larsson, coach Lars Lagerback said on Tuesday when naming a 22-man squad for next month’s World Cup qualifiers.

Sweden, who are fourth in Group One with nine points from six matches, face Hungary in Budapest on Sept. 5 and Malta in Ta’Qali four days later. Denmark are top on 16 points. Larsson will miss both matches because of a knee injury.Squad: Goalkeepers: John Alvbage (Orebro), Eddie Gustafsson (Salzburg), Andreas Isaksson (PSV Eindhoven) Defenders: Andreas Granqvist (FC Groningen) Petter Hansson (Stade Rennes), Mikael Lustig (Rosenborg Trondheim), Daniel Majstorovic (AEK Athens), Olof Mellberg (Olympiakos Piraeus), Mikael Nilsson (Brondby), Behrang Safari (Basel) Midfielders: Oscar Wendt (FC Copenhagen), Rasmus Elm (Kalmar), Samuel Holmen (Brondby), Kim Kallstrom (Olympique Lyon), Sebastian Larsson (Birmingham City), Anders Svensson (Elfsborg Boras), Ola Toivonen (PSV Eindhoven), Pontus Wernbloom (AZ Alkmaar) Strikers: Marcus Berg (Hamburg SV), Johan Elmander (Bolton Wanderers), Tobias Hysen (IFK Gothenburg), Zlatan Ibrahimovic (Barcelona) Bureau Report