IRELAND’S OPPONENTS SWEDEN and Austria have announced their squads for the upcoming round of World Cup qualifiers.
All three nations are vying for the runner-up spot behind leaders Germany in Group C and sit level on 11 points with four games remaining.
On 6 September, Ireland host the Swedes in Dublin before travelling to Vienna for a meeting with Austria four days later. Having drawn both corresponding games earlier this year, the Boys in Green will be looking for a minimum of four points from the double header.
Giovanni Trapattoni named a provisional 29-man panel this weekend, and today, his opposite numbers Erik Hamren and Marcel Koller have revealed their respective panels.
Sweden have veteran midfielder Kim Kallstrom, a team-mate of Aiden McGeady at Spartak Moscow, back but Rasmus Elm misses out through injury. Elsewhere, captain Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Norwich’s recent signing Johan Elmander and other British-based players Mikael Lustig, Jonas Olsson, Martin Olsson, and Seb Larsson all feature, as expected.
Austria take on rivals Germany in Munich on the same night as Ireland v Sweden and have picked Marc Janko despite the fact that the striker has not played for his club Trabzonspor since February. Bayern Munich’s David Alaba, who broke Irish hearts with a late equaliser at the Aviva Stadium back in March, is also included in the 23-man list.
Sweden squad: Andreas Isaksson (Kasimpasa SK), Christopher Nordfeldt (SC Heerenveen), Johan Wiland (DC Copenhagen), Mikael Antonsson (Bologna), Pierre Bengtsson (FC Copenhagen), Rasmussen Bengtsson (FC Twente), Andrea Granqvist (FC Krasnodar), Adam Johansson (IFK Gothenburg), Mikael Lustig (Celtic), Per Nilsson (FC Nuremberg), Jonas Olsson (West Brom), Martin Olsson (Norwich), Jimmy Durmaz (Genclerbirligi SK), Albin Ekdalsvagen (Cagliari), Johan Elmander (Norwich), Tobias Hysen (IFK Gothenburg), Zlatan Ibrahimovic (PSG), Alexander Kacaniklic (Fulham), Kim Kallstrom (Spartak Moscow), Sebastian Larsson (Sunderland), Anders Svensson (Elfsborg), Ola Toivonen (PSV Eindhoven), Pontus Wernbloom (CSKA Moscow), Erkan Zengin (Eskisehirspor).
Austria squad: Robert Almer (FC Energie Cottbus), Heinz Lindner (Austria Vienna), Ramazan Ozcan (FC Ingolstadt), Aleksandar Dragovic (Dynamo Kiev), Christian Fuchs (Schalke), Gyorgy Garics (Bologna), Florian Klein (Red Bull Salzburg), Emanuel Pogatetz (FC Nuremberg), Sebastian Prodl (Werder Bremen), Manuel Ortlechner (Austria Vienna), Markus Suttner (Austria Vienna), David Alaba (Bayern Munich), Marko Arnautovic (Werder Bremen), Julian Baumgartlinger (FSV Mainz), Guido Burgstaller (Rapid Vienna), Andreas Ivanschitz (Levante), Zlatko Junuzovic (Werder Bremen), Veli Kavlak (Besiktas), Christoph Leitgeb (Red Bull Salzburg), Martin Harnik (VfB Stuttgart), Philip Hosiner (Austria Vienna), Marc Janko (Trabzonspor), Andreas Weimann (Aston Villa).
