Switzerland drops Breel Embolo: Why will the striker miss four Nations League matches?

Another major absence hits Switzerland

Switzerland will be without Breel Embolo for its next four Nations League matches after the striker was temporarily dropped from the squad, the Swiss Football Association (SFA) announced Friday.

The decision comes just days after captain Granit Xhaka faced a similar measure.

The Swiss federation did not specify the reasons behind its decision regarding Embolo. However, national broadcaster RTS reported that it was related to the same issue involving Xhaka: the falsification of COVID-19 vaccination certificates during the pandemic.

Why was Breel Embolo dropped by Switzerland?

In Embolo's case, the striker had already been fined by the courts for “falsification of documents” and later apologized.

The SFA, however, did not officially state that this was the reason behind its decision to temporarily remove him from the national team.

The situation comes as Xhaka is being investigated by prosecutors in Lucerne over a related matter. The Switzerland captain had previously acknowledged having doubts about COVID-19 vaccines.

Embolo remains one of Switzerland's leading scorers

Embolo's absence is significant because of his importance to the national team.

The Cameroon-born striker, who currently plays for Atlanta United, is 29 years old and has scored 26 goals in 92 international appearances.

Those numbers place him among the Nati's leading scorers of all time.

Which Switzerland matches will Breel Embolo miss?

Switzerland will play four Nations League matches without the forward.

After being relegated from the competition's top tier last year, the Swiss will begin their new campaign away against North Macedonia on September 26.

They will then visit Scotland on September 29 before returning home to Lucerne to face Slovenia on October 3 and North Macedonia again on October 6.

Embolo and Xhaka absences shape Switzerland's start

The decision involving Embolo comes only days after a similar measure was taken against Xhaka, leaving Switzerland without two of its most recognizable players for the start of its new Nations League campaign.

While the federation did not publicly explain the specific reason behind Embolo's temporary removal, RTS linked both cases to vaccination certificates from the pandemic.

Four key dates Switzerland will face without Embolo

1. Breel Embolo has been temporarily dropped and will miss Switzerland's next four Nations League matches.
2. The SFA did not officially disclose the reason, while RTS linked the decision to the COVID-19 vaccination certificate case for which Embolo had previously been fined.
3. Switzerland faces North Macedonia on September 26, Scotland on September 29, Slovenia on October 3 and North Macedonia again on October 6.

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