Swiss hail 'great job' without Xhaka & Embolo before Scotland trip

What the report says

Switzerland say they have managed well without captain Granit Xhaka and striker Breel Embolo as they prepare to meet Scotland at Hampden, following a convincing 3-0 Nations League victory away to North Macedonia. The BBC Sport report said the team viewed the performance as evidence that they can cope with two major absentees, even as both players remain unavailable for the current international window.

Xhaka was left out of the squad last week and is being investigated by Swiss prosecutors, while Embolo’s withdrawal was announced on the eve of the Skopje match. The Swiss Football Association said he would not join the camp in Glasgow and would also miss the later fixtures against Slovenia and North Macedonia. Embolo had already been suspended for the opener after a red card against Argentina.

In Skopje, Switzerland were dominant, with Remo Freuler scoring first and Zeki Amdouni adding two more. Young right-back Zachary Athekame created both of Amdouni’s goals on debut, and several other players also made senior appearances. Head coach Murat Yakin said his side were strong in pressing and noted the team’s depth, while the result extended Switzerland’s recent run to just one defeat in their last 10 matches. The broader significance is that the Swiss appear to be maintaining form despite missing two established leaders, an encouraging sign ahead of tougher group fixtures.