Injured Kim Andersson to miss Sweden's EHF EURO 2014 qualifiers

A shoulder injury has been bothering the 30-year-old right back, Kim Andersson, ever since Sweden's EHF EURO qualifiers in April, when played his first matches for the national team since the London Olympics in 2012.

The shoulder injury has been handicapping the former THW Kiel star in his matches for his current Danish club, KIF Kolding København, ever since, and together with the management of the Swedish national team, he has decided not to play the two qualification matches against Ukraine on 12 June and the Netherlands on 16 June.

"The medical staff of the national team finds that the pressure from two matches within this short time cannot be recommended," the Swedish Handball Federation said in an official statement.

However, for Kim Andersson's teammate in the Swedish national team as well as in Kolding København, Lukas Karlsson, missing the "Player of the Year" from last year's German Bundesliga season is no disaster.

"We only need one point in those two matches in order to qualify, and I see both matches as tasks we should be able to solve,” Karlsson said.

Karlsson is back in the Swedish squad for the first time since the World Championship play-offs against Montenegro last summer and is looking forward to his comeback.

"It is great to be back. I expect to share the time as playmaker with Patrik Fahlgren and I look forward to playing a lot. Playing a European championship in Denmark, where I play and live, would just be great," the 31-year-old centre back added.

Albin Tingsvall from Lugi Lund has been nominated as the replacement for Kim Andersson, while Markus Olsson from Kristiansstad had been nominated as extra player, as there is doubt about whether left back Kim Ekdahl Du Rietz will be fit enough to play.

The Swedish squad:

Johan Sjöstran (Aalborg Håndbold), Andreas Palicka (THW Kiel), Mikael Appelgren (MT Melsungen), Magnus Jernemyr (FC Barcelona), Albin Tingsvall (Lugi Lund), Daniel Tellander (Allingsås HK), Niclas Ekberg (THW Kiel), Lukas Karlsson (KIF Kolding København), Jonas Larholm (Pick Szeged), Tobias Karlsson (SG Flensburg-Handewitt), Johan Jakobsson (Aalborg Håndbold), Patrik Fahlgren (MT Melsungen), Fredrik Petersen (HSV Hamburg), Kim Ekdahl Du Rietz (Rhein-Neckar Löwen), Anton Halén (HK Drott Halmstad), Andreas Nilsson (HSV Hamburg), Jesper Nielsen (IK Sävehof) Markus Olsson (IFK Kristiansstad).