Switzerland fret over Manzambi, Vargas and Sow ahead of round of 16

National coach Murat Yakin, speaking at a press conference at the media center at BC Place in Vancouver less than 24 hours before kickoff, expressed his frustration at the bad news. "Der Ärger ist gross. Es wäre ein Riesenverlust, wenn sie nicht auf dem Platz stehen könnten," the coach said verbatim. He reiterated the concern in later answers: "Der Ärger ist natürlich groß, dass sie das Training einen Tag vor dem Spiel abbrechen mussten." He also made clear: "Sie müssen 100 Prozent bei Kräften und bereit sein" – bringing injured players along would help nobody.

Manzambi, Vargas and Sow are almost irreplaceable in the Swiss attack. Manzambi, 20, who is under contract with Bundesliga side SC Freiburg, has scored three goals and provided two assists during the tournament; he is regarded as a candidate for the FIFA Young Player Award. Vargas, who plays alongside Sow at FC Sevilla, contributed two goals and one assist. Together, the two have been involved in five of Switzerland's nine tournament goals.

Federation stays tight-lipped

Yakin was full of praise for Manzambi: "Seine Leistungen sind hervorragend, er ist ein Teamplayer, ein kompletter Fußballer." Nevertheless, the medical department must have the final say. "Zum Glück haben wir viele Optionen," the national coach stressed, in an effort to keep the squad in confident spirits. "Ich hoffe, dass ich in ein paar Stunden wieder etwas entspannter sein werde," he added.

"Klar wäre es schmerzhaft, wenn die Spieler, die das Training abgebrochen haben, nicht dabei sein könnten," Yakin said further. However, he has, by necessity, already confronted the worst-case scenario, according to Yakin. The Swiss Football Association declined to comment when asked and pointed to pending examinations; an update will not be issued before further assessments are completed.

Adrian Arnold, the federation's head of communications, also faced the media. He reiterated that no further details on the nature or severity of the ailments would be provided. It therefore remains unclear whether the issues are muscular problems, minor knocks or other health restrictions.

Speculation over the absences

SRF expert Beni Huggel added further fuel to the speculation. "Dass alle 3 Spieler sich gleichzeitig verletzen, kann ich mir fast nicht vorstellen," the former national team player said. Whether the absences will indeed materialize or whether it is a tactical ruse by Yakin will likely only become clear on matchday.

Regardless, Switzerland faces Colombia on Tuesday evening (local time). Should the full squad be available, Yakin says he is approaching the match with confidence. Otherwise, the squad must collectively compensate for the absences.

The match will be broadcast live on ORF1, with pre-match coverage starting at 8:45 p.m. CEST and kickoff at 10 p.m. CEST.

With or without Manzambi: The Swiss side faces a pivotal match. Should the three key players drop out, Yakin would have to reshape his attack – possibly with additional wide options from the current squad.