STOCKHOLM, Sweden (AP) -Sweden coach Lars Lagerback has picked his 22 players for the opening World Cup qualifiers against Albania and Hungary next month.
Kalmar's Viktor Elm was the surprise inclusion for the start of Sweden's campaign to qualify for its third consecutive World Cup, spearheaded by Inter Milan striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic.
Elm, a 22-year-old midfielder, has previously only played with Sweden in its 2-0 defeat against the United States in a friendly match in January.
Lagerback called Elm "an allround player with a very good game intellect."
Sweden plays Albania on Sept. 6 in Tirana and hosts the Hungarians in Stockholm on Sept. 10.
Galatasaray midfielder Tobias Linderoth returned to the squad after recovering from a hip problem, but Rami Shaaban, Erik Edman and Johan Elmander are still out due to injuries.
Sweden veterans Niclas Alexandersson, Marcus Allback and captain Fredrik Ljungberg left the national team after the European Championship in June.
Lagerback has yet to decide who will succeed Ljungberg as captain.
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Sweden Squad:
Goalkeepers: Andreas Isaksson (PSV Eindhoven), Johan Wiland (Elfsborg)
Defenders: Andreas Granqvist (FC Groningen), Petter Hansson (Stade Rennes), Daniel Majstorovic (AEK Athens), Olof Mellberg (Juventus), Mikael Nilsson (Panathinaikos), Max von Schlebrugge (Brondby), Fredrik Stoor (Fulham), Oscar Wendt (FC Copenhagen).
Midfielders: Daniel Andersson (Malmo), Viktor Elm (Kalmar), Samuel Holmen (Brondby), Kim Kallstrom (Lyon), Sebastian Larsson (Birmingham), Tobias Linderoth (Galatasaray), Anders Svensson (Elfsborg), Christian Wilhelmsson (Al-Hilal).
Forwards: Marcus Berg (FC Groningen), Zlatan Ibrahimovic (Inter Milan), Henrik Larsson (Helsingborg), Markus Rosenberg (Werder Bremen).
