The Courier & Advertiser (Fife Edition)
Injury worries for a couple of stars going into quarter-final
Sweden are nursing a couple of players through injury ahead of their World Cup quarter-final encounter with England at the weekend.
Albin Ekdal has had X-rays on a foot problem while fellow midfielder Jimmy Durmaz also missed training yesterday because of a minor issue with his hip.
“I think they’ll check him today but he feels positive, that’s the information I’ve received,” captain Andreas Granqvist is quoted as saying by Swedish newspaper Aftonbladet after Wednesday’s media session.
“We hope that there is nothing serious.”
Ekdal had a light gym session before being accompanied by doctor Anders Valentin to have his foot assessed, Sweden’s press officer Staffan Stjernholm confirmed.
“He has been training in the gym while the others were out on the pitch,” he said.
“Then he and Dr Anders Valentin went to do an X-ray. It is for safety reasons, to check.”
The 28-year-old feared he had aggravated an old injury in Tuesday’s win over Switzerland.
“It hurts a bit and it’s swollen. It’s too early to say what it’s like,” he said after the match.
“I thought I had broken my old foot injury. Then there were many thoughts that flew through my mind.”
Durmaz was the other to sit out the session with those players who did not feature against the Swiss.
“It’s a prudent precaution, he has a little feeling in his hip,” said assistant coach Peter Wettergren.
“This training today is not the one that will determine how we will play against England.”