No comeback for Sweden's Larsson in qualifier against Malta

Sweden striker Henrik Larsson, back in training for Spanish champions Barcelona after a knee injury, will not play for his country in next month's World Cup qualifier against Malta, coach Lars Lagerback said yesterday.

The 33-year-old striker has not played a game since tearing the cruciate ligament of his left knee in November but is off the sick list and may return to the pitch for Barcelona's two remaining Spanish league games.

A return to the Swedish national side, for which he has scored 32 goals in 82 appearances, is more distant and Lagerback ruled out a comeback next month.

"He has only trained for a short while and is taking one day at a time to see that everything is working, so it is still very early days," Lagerback told Swedish news agency TT.

Sweden are one point behind Croatia after five games in European Group Eight and will take on bottom side Malta on June 4 in Gothenburg. Sweden will then play a friendly against Norway on June 8.

Larsson scored one of the goals in a 7-0 rout of Malta at the National Stadium last September.

He took a penalty for Sweden in the closing stages of the match but goalkeeper Mario Muscat saved the shot from the spot.

Lagerback is scheduled to name his squad for the World Cup qualifier on May 24, TT said.