Switzerland coach Murat Yakin has spoken about the great importance that captain Granit Xhaka has in the national team, describing him as a “true warrior”.
In a press conference held on Thursday, Yakin did not spare praise for the 33-year-old midfielder, who has recently returned from injury.
Despite this, Xhaka has decided to join Switzerland for the friendlies against Germany on March 27 and Norway on March 31.
“I am in very close contact with Granit, also about his injury. He is a fighter. At the European Championship in Germany, he played a whole match, despite an injury. We need him and I am happy that he can return in time,” Yakin declared.
He added that the technical staff will be careful with Xhaka’s playing time during these matches.
“We still have to discuss how long he will play. We have the possibility to replace all the players. This allows us to manage the workload effectively during this critical period,” he said.
Xhaka holds the record for most appearances for the Swiss national team, with 143 matches and 16 goals scored.
Meanwhile, Milan midfielder Ardon Jashari, who last played for Switzerland in the friendly on June 11th of last year against the USA, has also been invited for this month’s matches.
Yakin also announced that striker Kastriot Imeri is on the reserve list.
“Kastriot Imeri is on the reserve list. He has demonstrated his qualities. He can certainly be an option for us,” said Yakin.
Also, an alternative in the attacking phase remains Widzew Lodz striker Andi Zeqiri. /Telegraph/