Scotland given major boost as key midfielder extends 120-day exile ahead of Nations League fixture

Scotland have been handed a major boost as they prepare to return to Nations League action after it was confirmed that Switzerland captain Granit Xhaka has withdrawn from the squad ahead of the team’s clash in St Gillen next week.

Xhaka, 34, has been forced to pull out of the Switzerland squad after picking up a calf injury in Sunderland’s 1-0 win over Chelsea in the English Premier League on Sunday, with the Swiss FA confirming he will play no part in their upcoming fixtures against Slovenia and Scotland this month.

Xhaka had hoped to feature against Scotland for the first time since their clash at Euro 2024. | Getty Images

Forced off just three minutes into the Stadium of Light clash, Sunderland head coach Regis Le Bris confirmed he had been struggling with a problem before the game, his 50th for the Black Cats. “It looks like a calf injury,” said the Frenchman. “But we don't know exactly the timeframe at the minute. It was just the last sprint of the warm-up; that's often the case [with these injuries].

The news means that Xhaka, capped an astonishing 152 times by his country, has now been absent from international duty for the last 120 days. He also withdrew from last month’s reverse fixture at Hampden Park amid a pending investigation into claims that he forged a Covid certificate.

The Sunderland star was accused of obtaining a forged vaccination certificate for a doctor based in Lucerne in order to bypass travel restrictions. He later apologised and confirmed his actions were a result of “fear and uncertainty” and a “deep mistrust” in the vaccine, and received a suspended fine of £136,265 (150,000 Swiss francs) from the Lucerne public prosecutor's office. He voluntarily missed all four of Switzerland’s Nations League fixtures.

However, with the matter resolved, he was reinstated to Murat Yakin’s squad for their final two Nations League fixtures, including their clash with Scotland at the AFG Arena on Monday, November 16.

Xhaka scores in Switzerland's penalty shootout win against Colombia in the last 32 of this summer's World Cup. | Getty Images

Needing just a point from their game against Slovenia in Maribor this Friday to confirm their status as Group B1 winners, it was hoped that their legendary captain could return to the national fold for the first time since their 3-1 extra-time defeat to Argentina in the World Cup during the summer.

However, on the eve of his side returning for their initial training camp, Xhaka’s absence has been confirmed by national team following a scan at the Academy of Light after he limped out of Sunderland’s win on Sunday afternoon. Revealing the news via a short statement, the Swiss FA said: “Granit Xhaka has to withdraw from the national team gathering due to a calf injury.”

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