In-form Ljungberg to miss out

Sweden striker Hanna Ljungberg will not have a chance to add to her 17 goals this season when Umeå IK tackle 1. FFC Frankfurt of Germany tomorrow in the inaugural final of the UEFA Women's Cup.

Match suspension
As if facing the five-times German champions on their own turf was not daunting enough, Umeå will be denied the attacking talents of Ljungberg after she collected her third yellow card of the competition in the semi-final defeat of HJK Helsinki The 23-year-old, who scored four times in last Tuesday's 6-0 Damallsvenskan defeat of Alvikis IK, said: "I was really upset. I do not think I deserved the yellow card. My feet got tangled up with a defender and she fell."

Key injuries
Umeå will sorely miss Ljungberg, and not only because of her scoring. Ljungberg provides leadership - something Umeå have been missing after suffering a spate of injuries to key players since the start of the year. Swedish internationals Malin Moström and Tina Nordlund missed the semi-finals, although Moström could return in Germany. Umeå coach Richard Holmlund lamented their loss, saying: "Right now we have four national-team players out. Madelene Göras [a Swedish Under-19 international] is out all year with a knee injury and Frida Östberg is also hurt."

Four-goal haul
Those injuries have not hampered Umeå in the league, however, as the club have recorded three wins in as many games since the 2002 season got under way on 20 April. Ljungberg has scored half of Umeå's ten league goals thus far, four coming in the first half against hapless Alviks, in addition to six Women's Cup goals and as many for Sweden.

'It is hard not playing'
Ljungberg's outstanding form has merely served to add to the disappointment of missing out on a showpiece European final. "I'm playing really well right now," she said. "We had a lot of games in the pre-season with Umeå and the national team. Plus we had to be ready for the Women's Cup. It is hard knowing I cannot play in the final."