Sunderland skipper Granit Xhaka is currently away on international duty
Sunderland captain Granit Xhaka has delivered an update on his fitness after he was withdrawn at half-time during Switzerland’s 4-3 friendly defeat against Germany on Friday evening, revealing that his substitution was pre-planned.
The veteran midfielder recently missed five consecutive matches for his club side due to an ankle injury, but has seemingly returned to full match sharpness, and has started each of the Black Cats’ last two outings - including Sunday’s dramatic 2-1 victory over bitter rivals Newcastle United at St. James’ Park.
Xhaka was also included in Switzerland’s starting XI for a dramatic contest against the four-time world champions this weekend, but was taken off partway through. Speaking to the Swiss media after the final whistle, however, the Sunderland star confirmed that the change was always anticipated, and that he has not suffered any kind of worrying setback. He said: "That was already agreed upon before the game."
The 33-year-old’s comments tie in with a previous update from head coach Murat Yakin, who told a press conference earlier in the week: “I’m in close contact with Granit. I’m not worried; he knows his body. We’ll discuss how long he’ll play.”
What else was said about Granit Xhaka’s performance?
Elsewhere, the consensus among members of the continental press seems to be that Switzerland looked noticeably less organised without their captain on the pitch - a belief that was reinforced by their subsequent defeat despite drawing 2-2 at the interval.
When asked about how his absence affected Switzerland, Xhaka responded: "That's for others to judge. That was a test match against a very good opponent. We can take a lot away from it. Things we did well. But also a lot of things the Germans did well. For example, their composure under pressure.”
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Reflecting on Switzerland’s wastefulness in possession, he continued: "That's never been punished in recent months. Against an opponent of this calibre, it's different. Then you lose a game like this.”
Yakin agreed, stating: "We haven't faced a team like Germany as an opponent for almost two years. That's why we had little opportunity to play our own game. It wasn't the kind of game we're used to."
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