Sweden and Denmark suffer midfield injury blows

STOCKHOLM (Reuters) – Sweden and Denmark have been hit by injuries to central midfielders ahead of their two-legged playoff for a place in next year’s European Championship.

Dane Pione Sisto left the team’s headquarters at Elsinore, 50 kilometres north of Copenhagen, on Monday having failed to recover from a groin injury.

The Swedish FA announced that CSKA Moscow enforcer Pontus Wernbloom would also miss the playoff due to a thigh injury.

The Swedes also have concerns over Kim Kallstrom (stomach bug) and Malmo’s Oscar Lewicki, who suffered a concussion when he was knocked out in his side’s Champions League group game against Shaktar Donetsk.

Denmark’s Leon Andreasen was ruled out on Sunday after cutting himself while opening a parcel and Swedish midfielder Albin Ekdal suffered a foot injury in October that will sideline him for several months.

The first leg of the Scandinavian battle for a place at Euro 2016 takes place at the Friends Arena in Stockholm on Saturday with the return at the Parken Stadium in Copenhagen three days later.

(Reporting by Philip O’Connor, editing by Ed Osmond)