Zlatan ready to get physical

Ireland can, as Robbie Keane joked earlier this week, roll out every trick in the book to disrupt Zlatan Ibrahimovic tonight, but the Swedish captain has bullishly stated he is ready for everything the visitors throw at him.

In the past, and despite his size, Ibrahimovic hasn’t been as effective as he can be when defenders get in his face. However, the PSG striker insists, even if Ireland do decide to get physical, he will deal with it.

If Sweden fail to qualify from the group, he is expected to retire from the international scene again, without scoring a goal at a World Cup, so it’s fair to suggest this evening’s game means a lot to the enigmatic attacker.