Linderoth aching for finals action
Thursday, June 5, 2008
Article summary
Tobias Linderoth is hoping to be more than "a 60-minute player" for Sweden at UEFA EURO 2008™ despite still feeling the pain of a hip operation.
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Midfield linchpin
The 29-year-old has been Sweden's midfield linchpin for several seasons, but was the last player to be confirmed in Lars Lagerbäck's finals squad after having surgery in the United States to resolve a hip problem – the latest in a line of worrying injuries for the Galatasaray SK man. Surgeon Dr Marc Philippon predicted it would take eight months for Linderoth to recover, putting his UEFA EURO 2008™ place in doubt, but with Sweden's Group D opener against Greece looming he is in firm contention for a starting berth. "I'm here to compete for a spot and I'm here to play," he said.
Cameo appearances
When he was drafted back into the squad in May, Linderoth had not played a competitive game for some time but had a pre-tournament training camp to prove his fitness. He showed his importance by scoring the only goal – his second for the country – in a 1-0 friendly win against Slovenia on 26 May. He featured in the first half of that match and for 55 minutes of the subsequent 1-0 defeat by Ukraine, prompting Lagerbäck to label him "a 60-minute player". However, this is not a tag Linderoth is likely to settle for.
Pain barrier
"In the last friendly, I was perfectly fine for the time I was on the pitch," he said. "I felt fresh and felt I had the stamina for it. But I haven't played longer than that, so I don't know how I'd react to more playing time." He is eager for the chance to find out, but there is no doubt it will be a painful experience. "Of course I still feel my injury," he said after training on Thursday. "Maybe not while training, but before and afterwards. I need to spend more time warming up than six months ago."