Ibrahimovic and co. train at the National Stadium

Sweden upped their preparations for tomorrow's 2010 World Cup assignment against Malta with a training session at the National Stadium yesterday morning.

The mood in the Swedish camp is buoyant after star forward Zlatan Ibrahimovic's last-gasp goal earned them a vital 2-1 victory away to Hungary on Saturday and kept alive their hopes of advancing to next year's World Cup finals in South Africa.

Having touched down in Malta on Sunday afternoon, Sweden headed to Ta' Qali in the evening for a recovery session which was held behind closed doors.

Lars Lagerback, the Sweden coach, gave the media access to yesterday's training session at the National Stadium, venue of tomorrow's Group One qualifier (kick-off 6.30 p.m.).

A knee injury sustained during Barcelona's 3-0 defeat of Sporting Gijon in their opening Primera Liga match had threatened to force Ibrahimovic out of Saturday's qualifier against Hungary but the former Inter striker was eventually included in the starting line-up after declaring himself fit to play.

Yesterday, Ibrahimovic showed no ill-effects of his injury but had a bandage strapped around his troublesome right knee towards the end of the session.

Thanks to their victory in Budapest, Sweden have trimmed the gap on second-placed Hungary to one point. Denmark top Group One with 17 points.

Saturday's win was Sweden's second in a row after they trounced Malta 4-0 in Gothenburg in June.

The sight of the National Stadium is likely to have evoked happy memories for Ibrahimovic as the towering forward struck four goals in a 7-0 thrashing of Malta, then under German coach Horst Heese, four years ago in a qualifier for the 2006 World Cup.

Malta's build-up for tomorrow's arduous qualifier continued yesterday with two practice sessions at the Ta' Qali training grounds.

John Buttigieg has made three changes from the 18-man squad he had chosen for the friendly against Cape Verde last week.

Captain Gilbert Agius, goalkeeper Mario Muscat and Alex Muscat have been recalled at the expense of Jean Pierre Mifsud Triganza, Justin Haber and Andrei Agius.

Malta lost 2-0 to Cape Verde on Friday.

Sweden Squad

Goalkeepers: J. Alvbage (Orebro), E. Gustafsson (Salzburg), A. Isaksson (PSV Eindhoven).

Defenders: A. Granqvist (FC Groningen) P. Hansson (Stade Rennes), M. Lustig (Rosenborg), D. Majstorovic (AEK Athens), O. Mellberg (Olympiakos), M. Nilsson (Brondby), B. Safari (Basel).

Midfielders: O. Wendt (FC Copenhagen), R. Elm (Kalmar), S. Holmen (Brondby), K. Kallstrom (Olympique Lyon), S. Larsson (Birmingham City), A. Svensson (Elfsborg Boras), O. Toivonen (PSV Eindhoven), P. Wernbloom (AZ Alkmaar).

Strikers: M. Berg (Hamburg SV), J. Elmander (Bolton Wanderers), T. Hysen (IFK Gothenburg), Z. Ibrahimovic (Barcelona).