Manchester United duo Nicky Butt and Philip Neville both featured in England's 1-0 friendly defeat by the hands of Sweden in Gothenburg's Ullevi Stadium this evening.

Due to a 53rd minute strike from Ajax striker Zlatan Ibrahimovich, England now maintain their 36-year winless run against Sweden.

Liverpool midfielder Steven Gerrard skippered the side in the absence of former Old Trafford star David Beckham, who was out duo to injury.

England boss Sven Goran-Eriksson, returning to his native Sweden, decided to start Celtic's left-midfielder Alan Thompson for the first time in England colours but didn't have the debut he planned by not seeing much of the ball at all. 

Eriksson had to change to Plan B after Aston Villa striker Darius Vassell got hacked down by Villa team-mate Olaf Melberg and consequently had to be substituted after just 12 minutes, handing Jermain Defoe his first England cap.

England controlled the game in the first-half, silencing the 40,464 Gothenburg crowd but failed to take their chances in both of the halves despite Owen Hargreaves hitting the bar from a free-kick.

Ajax forward Zlatan Ibrahimovich got the better of Jamie Carragher and latched onto a Kim Kallstrom cross which he stabbed past a hapless David James to put the Swedes 1-0 up just after half-time.

As you expect in any friendly with Sven-Goran Eriksson, many substitutions were made. Anthony Gardner, Gareth Southgate, Joe Cole, Alan Smith, Emile Heskey and Scott Parker, who replaced Nicky Butt with 13 minutes to go, all saw action in the second period. Philip Neville was lucky to see out a full 90 minutes.

Sweden: Isaksson, Lucic, Mellberg, Mjallby, Edman, Nilsson, A Andersson, Anders Svensson, Wilhelmsson, Ibrahimovic, Elmander. Subs: Hedman, Kihlstedt, C Andersson, Dorsin, Hansson, Ostlund, Linderoth, Kallstrom, Farnerud, Jonson.  

England: James, Neville, Terry, Woodgate, Carragher, Hargreaves, Gerrard, Butt, Thompson, Vassell, Rooney. Subs: Robinson, Mills, Green, Walker, Samuel, Gardner, Southgate, Parker, Joe Cole, Jenas, Wright-Phillips, Smith, Heskey, Defoe