Sweden taking no risks with Zlatan

Sweden coach Erik Hamren has confirmed that star man Zlatan Ibrahimovic will miss Monday’s friendly with Slovenia on Monday to rest a sore calf.

Sweden have been installed as the 1.62 favourites to secure a win on Monday but they will be without the talismanic forward as Hamren is not willing to risk the 34-year-old ahead of Euro 2016. A win for Slovenia is available at 5.50 while a draw is priced at 3.50.

Ibrahimovic has confirmed he intends to seek a fresh challenge this summer after his deal with Paris Saint-Germain ended but it remains to be seen if he will sign on with a new club before Euro 2016. Hamren says the former AC Milan star could feature in the Swedes’ final warm-up match against Wales.

“We’ll save it until the Wales match on June 5,” Hamren said ahead of the Slovenia game in Malmo. “It’s the calf he’s had problems with toward the end at PSG.” It seems as if the manager has decided to rest his captain against Slovenia as a precautionary measure rather than due to any serious concerns.

Sweden will be desperate to have a fully-fit Ibrahimovic at Euro 2016 having been drawn in Group E, arguably the most competitive on paper, alongside Italy, Belgium and the Republic of Ireland.

Ibrahimovic is unsurprisingly the 1.44 favourite to finish as his country’s top scorer at Euro 2016, while Sweden are 2.75 to be eliminated in the last 16.

Sweden take on the Republic of Ireland in their tournament opener and they are 2.50 to kick their campaign off with a victory, while the ROI are priced at 3.00 to secure all three points, as is the draw.