Fitness race as qualifiers loom

Foot injury
Ljungberg is a doubt for the Swedes' Group 4 home game against Poland after suffering a foot injury in training. Duff, meanwhile, hurt his knee in Ireland's Group 10 victory over Albania on Saturday and his involvement against Georgia is anything but certain.

Berg returns
There was better news for other players, however. Captain Henning Berg is fit to return to the Norway defence for their home meeting with Romania in Group 2, while Denmark's Jesper Gronkjær, who scored the goal that beat Norway on Saturday, is fit to play in Luxembourg after shaking off an ankle problem.

Dmitrulin returns
Jan Koller, meanwhile, will feature for the Czech Republic against Moldova in Group 3 after recovering from minor surgery on a leg injury, while Ukraine defender Yuriy Dmitrulin should make his first appearance since an appendix operation, against Group 6 rivals Greece.

Suspensions take toll
Suspensions have taken their toll on a number of teams, and Serbia and Montenegro will miss captain Sinisa Mihajlovic against Azerbaijan in Group 9, following his red card in Saturday's defeat in Finland. Knee injuries to fellow defenders Nemanja Vidic and Dejan Stefanovic limit even further coach Dejan Savicevic's selection options.

Beckham absent
Elsewhere, Ukraine will be without suspended captain Oleg Luzhny for the visit to Greece; David Beckham is absent from England's Group 7 match against Slovakia; likewise Okan Buruk and Yildiray Bastürk from Turkey's game against F.Y.R. Macedonia in the same section.

Mpenza doubt
Staying with suspensions, Torsten Frings will skip Germany's Group 5 visit to the Faroe Islands while Belgium have lost defender Eric Deflandre whose place should go to Olivier de Cock. Belgium coach Aimé Anthuenis may also be without striker Emile Mpenza, who has a back problem.

Camoranesi forced out
One player definitely ruled out in recent days is Mauro Camoranesi, who withdrew yesterday from Italy's squad to face Finland due to a calf injury. Elsewhere, Moldova are without Serghei Clescenco and Serghei Dadu against the Czech Republic, and Radoslaw Sobolewski and Emmanuel Olisadebe are expected to miss Poland's match against Sweden.

Dragóner fit to play
A knee injury has deprived Hungary of Zoltán Gera for the visit to San Marino but defender Attila Dragóner will be fit, while Estonian coach Arno Pijpers has lost Kristen Viikmäe, Sergei Pareiko, Martin Reim and Kert Haavistu for the Group 8 home game against Croatia. However, he does welcome back Indrek Zelinski from suspension

Stomach bug
Iceland coach Asgeir Sigurvinsson, finally, has to worry about the stomach bug which has struck five of his players prior to the Group 5 trip to Lithuania.

Players suspended on Wednesday as a result of
Saturday's games: