Yakin names experienced Switzerland squad for World Cup

Switzerland’s coach Murat Yakin speaks during a press conference after announcing the squad for the World Cup Qatar 2022 in Lucerne yesterday. (AFP)

Switzerland coach Murat Yakin will lean on experience at the World Cup in Qatar, naming yesterday several veterans, including Granit Xhaka and Xherdan Shaqiri, in a 26-man squad for this month’s tournament. Arsenal midfielder Xhaka will captain the team at his third World Cup and is among a host of Premier League players named in the squad, including Manchester City’s Manuel Akanji and Newcastle United defender Fabian Schar. Winger Xhaqiri, now at Chicago Fire in Major League Soccer, will be heading to his fourth World Cup at the age of 31 with 108 caps to his name. Yakin will take four goalkeepers to Qatar with injury concerns over first-choice goalkeeper Yann Sommer and back-up Jonas Omlin, calling up Salzburg’s Philipp Kohn as one of two uncapped players in the squad. Sommer, who has 76 caps, injured his ankle in Borussia Monchengladbach’s match against Darmstadt last month while Montpellier goalkeeper Omlin sprained his ankle against Olympique Lyonnais on October 22. Switzerland made the Euro 2020 quarter-finals by getting past France and will be buoyed by Sommer’s supreme penalty stopping talents should they reach the knock-out phase. Yakin’s other star is the 25-year-old Embolo who has pace and power and can take his Monaco form into their Group G matches. Young Boys midfielder Fabian Rieder, 20, is the other uncapped player and has been called up for the first time. The squad also includes Nottingham Forest midfielder Remo Freuler and Chelsea loanee Denis Zakaria, although Fulham defender Kevin Mbabu is a notable absentee. “We were spoiled for choice in some positions,” Yakin said in a statement. “Many players have delivered convincing performances in recent weeks and months. But in the end I had to limit myself to 26 names. I’m convinced that these 26 players can always help us to achieve our goals.” The Swiss FA said the squad will fly to Doha on Monday and move to Abu Dhabi two days later for a warm-up match against Ghana, before opening their World Cup campaign against Cameroon on Nov 24.  They will also face Brazil and Serbia in Group G. Squad Goalkeepers: Yann Sommer (Borussia Moenchengladbach/GER), Jonas Omlin (Montpellier/FRA), Gregor Kobel (Borussia Dortmund/GER), Philipp Koehn (Salzbourg/AUT) Defenders: Manuel Akanji (Manchester City/ENG), Nico Elvedi (Borussia Moenchengladbach/GER), Fabian Schär (Newcastle United/ENG), Eray Coemert (Valencia/ESP), Silvan Widmer (Mainz/GER), Edimilson Fernandes (Mainz/GER), Ricardo Rodriguez (Torino/ITA) Midfielders: Remo Freuler (Nottingham Forest/ENG), Granit Xhaka (Arsenal/ENG), Djibril Sow (Eintracht Frankfurt/GER), Michel Aebischer (Bologna/ITA), Fabian Frei (Basel), Denis Zakaria (Chelsea/ENG), Christian Fassnacht (Young Boys), Fabian Rieder (Young Boys), Ardon Jashari (Lucerne), Renato Steffen (Lugano) Strikers: Breel Embolo (Monaco/FRA), Haris Seferovic (Galatasaray/TUR), Xherdan Shaqiri (Chicago Fire/USA), Noah Okafor (Salzbourg), Ruben Vargas (Augsbourg/GER)