Switzerland ahead of Argentina quarter-final: Yakin gives update on Manzambi's injury

Unclear Diagnosis

"Bei Johan denke ich nicht, dass es von der Zeit her reicht," said Yakin with regard to the time remaining until the quarter-final. "Aber ich denke, so eine Verletzung bekommt man nicht in der Kürze hin," said the national team coach. They had "noch Hoffnung gehabt bis heute Morgen."

Manzambi has been one of the more prominent attacking players for the Swiss team at this World Cup. His absence would be a severe setback for the squad, which after the penalty shootout against Colombia stands before a historic chance: for the first time in a long while, Switzerland could reach a World Cup semi-final again.

Argentina with Messi as Benchmark

In the quarter-final, Argentina awaits, led by a Lionel Messi who has once again been outstanding at this World Cup. The match takes place on Sunday at 3:00 a.m. CEST in Kansas City. Yakin therefore also does not know whether Manzambi could be available again in the event of a surprise semi-final qualification.

Switzerland had prevailed against Colombia on penalties in the round of 16 and thus qualified for the quarter-finals. Ahead of the match against the South Americans, Manzambi had been forced to cut short the final training session, which in hindsight turned out to be more serious than initially assumed. Yakin is keeping the door open for a return at least nominally, but at the same time signals that the chances of that happening are slim.

The coach referred to the medical assessment that would have to decide on a deployment. Being pain-free is an important prerequisite but alone is not sufficient. The medical department will use the next one to two days to make a well-founded decision.

Attacking Concerns Ahead of the Quarter-Final

With regard to the Argentine team, Yakin emphasized respect for the opponent and its star player Messi. Switzerland wants to get to grips with the Argentinians' "outstanding" captain and at the same time set their own attacking accents. Which attacking players he ultimately has at his disposal for that depends also on Manzambi's recovery.

For the Swiss football nation, reaching the semi-finals would be a historic success. Yakin's team has so far played a strong tournament and has cleared another hurdle with the round-of-16 win against Colombia. Now the next, perhaps greatest challenge awaits.

Manzambi has been playing at SC Freiburg in the Bundesliga since the summer and is regarded as one of Switzerland's greatest attacking talents. His absence would add to the personnel concerns of the Swiss, especially as several regular players had already been missing during the course of the tournament. According to his own statement, Yakin does not want to get lost in speculation and instead wait for the medical assessment.

Regardless of Manzambi's health, Switzerland faces a sporting challenge of the highest order. Argentina is among the tournament favorites, and Messi is shaping this World Cup in his usual manner. On Sunday in Kansas City, the Swiss will face an opponent who regularly shows its class in the knockout rounds.

Yakin announced that the team will shoulder the situation together. They will use the training-free days and keep a close eye on the medical department. Should Manzambi drop out, other attacking players would have to step into the breach. Fans in Switzerland are looking anxiously ahead to the upcoming quarter-final.