Sweden seek a fellow predator

Solid pairing
Prior to the emergence of Ibrahimović, the front two pretty much picked itself, with Larsson and Marcus Allbäck forging a superb understanding. However, with the 36-year-old Larsson having retired from international football, and Allbäck, at 34, now used more often as a substitute, the big headache for coach Lars Lagerbäck is how to get the best out of the 26-year-old FC Internazionale Milano star.

Proven talent
Ibrahimović's talent is not in doubt. He has impressed once more in Italy and in the UEFA Champions League this season, with 20 goals in all competitions, but the national team have not been able to fully exploit his abilities. Tellingly he has not scored for Sweden since 12 October 2005, and while the player himself is unconcerned provided results continue to go his side's way, fans are not.

Striking options
The key, perhaps, is to find the right partner for the former Malmö FF and AFC Ajax star, and Lagerbäck has been checking out his options, with Johan Elmander, Markus Rosenberg, Marcus Berg and Rade Prica all having been given a chance to prove their worth, though the latter is probably out of the UEFA EURO 2008™frame due to a lack of first-team football at Sunderland AFC.

Elmander uncertainty
At 26, Elmander might seem the best bet. After his club, Toulouse FC, enjoyed a superb season in 2006/07, he became a regular for Sweden, but things have been tougher in the current campaign. With Toulouse struggling in Ligue 1, the hard-working Elmander has gone slightly off the boil for Sweden, and having not scored for the national team since 2 June 2007, his first-team place is still not certain.

Supporting role
In such circumstances, Allbäck might be considered for a starting role, but despite 29 goals in 71 international appearances, that may be expecting a lot. Now usually a substitute for Sweden, the FC København player has announced that UEFA EURO 2008™ will be his last finals tournament, and his imminent return to Swedish second division Örgryte IS suggests his best days are behind him.

Other options
With ten Bundesliga goals for Werder Bremen, Rosenberg has shown class, but is yet to prove his worth against top-class opponents with Sweden, or indeed show that he can complement Ibrahimović, while at 21, prolific FC Groningen scorer Markus Berg does not possess the experience that the conservative Lagerbäck would prefer. If he goes to the finals, it will be to watch and learn.

Final foursome
Traditionally, Lagerbäck has taken four strikers to final tournaments. For UEFA EURO 2004™ he chose Allbäck, Larsson, Ibrahimović and Mattias Johnson. For the 2006 FIFA World Cup he chose Allbäck, Larsson, Ibrahimović and Rosenberg. Exactly who he will choose to lead the line at UEFA EURO 2008™ could be the biggest question of the spring in Sweden.