Captain Xhaka allowed to play for Switzerland again

Xhaka and Embolo cleared to return for Switzerland's November Nations League matches after serving suspensions for forged Covid certificates.

Granit Xhaka and Breel Embolo have been cleared to rejoin the Switzerland squad for November's Nations League fixtures against Slovenia and Scotland following an investigation into forged Covid-19 vaccination certificates.

Xhaka, the 34-year-old Sunderland midfielder and Switzerland captain, was dropped for October's matches against Scotland, North Macedonia and Slovenia after admitting to obtaining a fake certificate in 2022. Embolo, 29, was similarly excluded from the squad in September for the same reason.

Both players were fined 150,000 Swiss francs (£136,000) and suspended for two years, provided no further offences occur. The Swiss Football Association confirmed they will be available for selection by manager Murat Yakin for the November fixtures. Xhaka has not been stripped of the captaincy, though Yakin will make the final decision on that matter when announcing his squad on 5 November. Switzerland lead Group E heading into their final two matches.