STOCKHOLM (Reuters) - Argentina can spring a Davis Cup surprise and beat Sweden even without their top player Juan Martin del Potro, their captain said Thursday.
Hosts Sweden will be led by world number seven Robin Soderling, French Open runner-up last year, and he will play Argentina's Eduardo Schwank in the first match Friday.
Del Potro, ranked fifth, misses the tie with a wrist injury and world number 27 Juan Monaco has also been ruled out.
"We have a very young and inexperienced team and Sweden has a player that is playing at a different level which is Soderling, therefore I see very difficult singles matches," Argentina captain Tito Vazquez told reporters.
"We have to be 100 percent effective in beating the number two players and the doubles matches."
Soderling, 25, said he felt in good form but was expecting a tough match against Schwank, which he hoped would be over quickly so he would be in good shape for the rest of the weekend.
Soderling will play doubles Saturday with Robert Lindstedt and another singles match Sunday.
Sweden's Joachim Johansson plays Argentine Leonardo Mayer in Friday's second singles.
(Editing by Ed Osmond)
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