Knee injury puts Spycher out of World Cup

(GSM) – Switzerland’s World Cup hopes suffered a severe blow today when Christoph Spycher was ruled out of the provisional World Cup squad after failing to a serious knee injury.

The Eintracht Frankfurt defender, who will return to his native country to play for Young boys next season, damaged ligaments in his left knee when he was playing against Borussia Monchengladbach last month and confessed that his World Cup dream is over.

“It is not clear at this moment when I can start training fully again. So after consultation with the doctors and physios I had no other choice but to inform the coach that he must plan without me,” Spycher told the Swiss federation’s official website.

“I have taken this decision after careful consideration. I have had a great time with the national team but that’s over now. I can now concentrate fully on Young Boys,” he said.

Swiss manager Ottmar Hitzfeld has called up Ludovic Magnin as his replacement.