Germany skipper Schweinsteiger eyes Swedish win

Stand-in captain Bastian Schweinsteiger has backed Germany to beat Sweden in Wednesday’s friendly, despite coach Joachim Loew replacing several big names with a handful of new players.

Germany face Sweden at Gothenburg’s Nya Ullevi stadium minus several top names including midfielders Mesut Ozil, Thomas Mueller, striker Miroslav Klose and defender Philipp Lahm.

Loew is expected to blood several young players including Mainz pair Andre Schuerrle and Lewis Holtby, plus Dortmund’s Marcel Schmelzer and teenager Mario Goetze.

With Lahm left in Germany and Michael Ballack still recovering from a knee injury, Schweinsteiger will lead the Germans in their last game of 2010.

“We will do everything to beat Sweden, even if it is with a new team and lots of young faces,” said Schweinsteiger in a press conference here.

Only nine of the twenty-man squad took part in the World Cup when Germany finished third.

The four new caps have all earned their places in the squad on the back of strong performances and Schweinsteiger says he is looking forward to playing with Germany’s rising stars.

“These kids have earned their selection, I can not wait to play with them,” he said.

Leverkusen goalkeeper Rene Adler, who missed the World Cup through injury, will be back in goal and several squad members like Bremen winger Marko Marin and striker Mario Gomez will have their chance to impress.

Schweinsteiger says the side are looking to build on their impressive performances in South Africa.

“It is not our third place in South Africa which gave us the most pleasure, but the enthusiasm it generated in Germany and the feeling of being supported by an entire country,” he said.

Sweden will be without international striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic, coach Erik Hamren has said, after the AC Milan forward scored the only goal in his side’s 1-0 win over Inter Milan last weekend.