Team: Sweden

Red light still means go

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Coach: Lars Lagerback
Captain: Olof Mellberg
Winners: Never - reached the final on home soil in 1958
Pitted against:England, Trinidad & Tobago and Paraguay
Prospects: Lacking the strength in depth to trouble the big guns but will reach the last 16 nonetheless
Odds: 40-1

Don't be hoodwinked into thinking Sweden are, at best, an ordinary side. Stan Staunton and his merry men may have stuck three past them not so long ago, but the visitors on that occasion were clearly not up for the fight, resting players with one eye on the finals, writes Paul O'Hehir

The Scandinavians are World Cup veterans and although their best form at this level came many moons ago, there is enough quality in the current squad to scupper the plans of some high-profile nations.

Celtic legend and recent champions league winner with Barcelona, Henrik Larsson, joins forces with Juventus star Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Arsenal's Freddie Ljungberg to spearhead the Swede's assault and although other squad names, perhaps, don't roll off the tongue, Sweden still possess many players willing and able to make a mark for themselves at this level.

Nevertheless, Swedish prospects do rest largely on that key trio staying fit and Ljungberg's availability is already in doubt. The tricky midfielder has a foot injury and the Swedish team doctor is urging the 29-year-old to sit out the group games against Trinidad, Paraguay and England.

In illustrating the trio's value, it is interesting to note that during a recent scoreless friendly with Scandinavian neighbours Finland, the Gothenburg locals booed their players off the field such was the toothless attacking display in their absence.

In qualifying, Lars Lagerback's side avoided a play-off en route to the finals. Sweden lost twice to Croatia but finished level on points to qualify as one of the two best placed runners-up. Their defensive record during the campaign was impressive, conceding just four goals in 10 games, but oddly it could yet be this department in which Sweden struggle this summer.

Olof Mellberg endured a miserable season with Aston Villa and the Swedish captain is, as observers believe, feeling the years in his legs and not playing with the same conviction with which he has done in recent seasons. He is regarded as the strongest link in a back four which is subsequently viewed as not that strong at all. Efficient as a unit all the same, but England's attackers will fancy a go.

Finally, and somewhat away from football, Sweden’s sexual equality ombudsman, Claes Borgstrom, recently demanded the country withdraw from the World Cup in protest at the extra brothels - which are illegal in Sweden - being set up to cope with demand from visiting football fans across various German cities.

But Swedish FA president Lars-Ake Lagrell rejected the call fearing exclusion from future competitions. Instead, he promised that no Swedish player would frequent such establishments. He also resisted calls for the likes of Ibrahimovic, Ljungberg and Larsson to campaign against prostitution.

World Cup Squad

Goalkeepers: Andreas Isaksson (Stade Rennes), John Alvbage (Viborg), Rami Shaaban (Fredrikstad)
Defenders: Erik Edman (Stade Rennes), Petter Hansson (Heerenveen), Teddy Lucic (BK Hacken), Olof Mellberg (Aston Villa), Karl Svensson (IFK Gothenburg), Mikael Nilsson (Panathinaikos), Fredrik Stenman (Bayer Leverkusen)
Midfielders: Daniel Andersson (Malmo), Niclas Alexandersson (IFK Gothenburg), Kim Kallstrom (Stade Rennes), Tobias Linderoth (FC Copenhagen), Christian Wilhelmsson (Anderlecht), Anders Svensson (Elfsborg), Fredrik Ljungberg (Arsenal)
Forwards: Marcus Allback (FC Copenhagen), Johan Elmander (Brondby), Zlatan Ibrahimovic (Juventus), Mattias Jonson (Djurgarden), Henrik Larsson (Barcelona), Markus Rosenberg (Ajax Amsterdam)