Sweden hit by Isaksson injury blow

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STOCKHOLM, Sweden -- Sweden will be without goalkeeper Andreas Isaksson for next month's Euro 2008 qualifiers against Spain and Iceland due to a knee injury.

Isaksson damaged a ligament in his right knee after colliding with a fellow- Manchester City player during a training session at the weekend.

"If the ligament is partly loose (Isaksson could be out) for three to four weeks," Sweden team doctor Magnus Forssblad told media.

Isaksson has yet to play for City since joining the Manchester club from Ligue 1 side Stade Rennes in August in a $3.7-million (2.9-million-euro) deal.

The 6ft 6in keeper has been capped 42 times by his country and was Sweden's first-choice keeper during this summer's World Cup.

But Isaksson missed the first two Euro 2008 qualifiers against Latvia and Liechtenstein this month after surgery to remove a chip of bone in his right foot.

Fredrikstad's Egyptian-born Rami Shaaban replaced Isaksson's for those games with Viborg's John Alvbage offering another option.

Sweden face Group F favorites Spain on October 7 and Iceland on October 11.

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