Zlatan Ibrahimovic ruled out of Euro 2020 with knee injury
Veteran striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic has been ruled out of the upcoming European Championship because of a knee injury. This is a huge blow for Sweden after Ibrahimovic had come out of international retirement in March and was recalled to the squad. The AC Milan forward suffered from the injury in his side's win against Juventus in the Serie A. Here are further details.
Sweden coach Andersson confirms the unavailability of Ibrahimovic
"Today I have spoken to Zlatan Ibrahimovic, who has unfortunately communicated that his injury will prevent him from taking part in the Euros this summer," Janne Andersson said in a statement. "It is of course very sad, mostly for Zlatan but also for us. I hope to see him back on the pitch again as soon as possible," he added.
World Cup qualifiers: Ibrahimovic returned for Sweden in March
Ibrahimovic, who had earlier announced his retirement from international duty five years earlier, was included in Janne Andersson's squad in March for their upcoming World Cup qualifiers against Georgia and Kosovo. Notably, Zlatan contributed with an assist in Sweden's win over Georgia. He also played 67 minutes in Sweden's 3-0 win over Kosova. Sweden occupy the second place in Group B (European qualifiers).
Injuries have taken a toll on Zlatan
Injuries have bothered Ibrahimovic in the 2020-21 season. He has been limited to just 27 appearances this season. Zlatan won't be part of Milan's remaining two league games as they target a top-four finish in the Serie A.
Ibra had recently signed a contract extension with Milan
In April, Ibrahimovic signed a new one-year contract extension that will see him play on at the San Siro beyond his 40th birthday. The 39-year old Ibrahimovic joined Milan for a second time in December of 2019. He had extended his initial six-month deal by a year in August 2020, and has now put pen to paper again.
Zlatan's numbers for Milan
After rejoining Milan in 2020, Zlatan ended the 2019-20 season with 11 goals in 20 games. He netted 10 in the Serie A, helping Milan finish sixth. Since his return to the side, Zlatan has 28 goals in 47 matches in all competitions. In his first spell at Milan, Zlatan netted 56 goals in 85 matches. In total, he has scored 84 goals.
Sweden to open their Euro 2020 campaign against Spain
Sweden will open their campaign against Spain on June 15 (12:30 AM IST). They will face Slovakia next on June 18 (6:30 PM IST). Their final group game us against Poland on June 23 (9:30 PM IST).
Euro 2020: A look at the six groups
Group A: Turkey, Italy, Wales, Switzerland Group B: Denmark, Finland, Belgium, Russia Group C: Netherlands, Ukraine, Austria, North Macedonia Group D: England, Croatia, Scotland, Czech Republic Group E: Spain, Sweden, Poland, Slovakia Group F: Hungary, Portugal, France, Germany
