Major Switzerland star a doubt for England clash after missing training last week
England could receive a big boost ahead of their Euro 2024 quarter-final clash with Switzerland on Saturday as the availability of Swiss captain Granit Xhaka is in doubt.
Both nations booked their places in the quarter-finals over the weekend with wins over Italy and Slovakia respectively.
The Three Lions struggled against the Slovakians as they needed a very late Jude Bellingham equaliser to save them from elimination, while Switzerland had a much easier time against the Italians as they secured a 2-0 win.
Xhaka featured in the game in Berlin on Saturday but admitted after the match that he had issues with an injury during the week.
“We practiced penalty shootouts before the Italy game,” the Bayer Leverkusen star said on Sunday via Blick. “On my first attempt, I felt something in my left adductor. That’s why I skipped training on Thursday. On Friday in the final training session, everything was fine again.”
“But in the game, I felt it again after 15 minutes. Luckily we have very good doctors who gave me something for it. I was able to play the whole game afterwards, which was important for me.
“We’ll do an MRI on Monday and see what exactly it is. But I have seven days now to get everything treated.”
Switzerland’s Granit Xhaka has a week to recover for England match
Xhaka will undergo scans on his injury issue on Monday to help understand how serious the problem is, reports The Metro. The Swiss captain is expected to play against England on Saturday and will not miss the match unless his leg injury is very serious.
The midfielder is a crucial player for his team and has been in great form this season as he also played a major role in Bayer Leverkusen winning the double in Germany during the previous campaign.
England fans should expect to see the former Arsenal star from the start at the weekend and if the 31-year-old is not, that will be a major boost for Gareth Southgate and his team.
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