Switzerland's Frei Could Be Out
Alexander Frei of Switzerland
Switzerland captain Alex Frei could miss the World Cup all together after scans revealed that the Basel FC player had a bruised and sprained right ankle.
Now he is extremely doubtful to take part in the global show piece, but nonetheless the coaching staff is hoping he can recuperate in time.
“I live in the belief that he will take part in the World Cup. He perhaps will not be ready for the first match but I will be able to call upon him after that I hope,” were the words of concern from the Swiss coach Ottmar Hitzfeld.
The striker suffered the injury in a training session on Wednesday after attempting to tackle teammate Steve Von Bergen.
The striker remained on the ground for about five minutes before being taken to hospital. The biggest positive of the injury is the fact that it does not appear to be ligament damage.
Frei is no stranger to the casualty list as this latest setback comes after a series of injuries that have plagued Switzerland’s record goal scorer. In February, the 30-year-old had surgery after suffering a broken arm during a league game and was out for 10 weeks.
He also suffered a knee injury during Switzerland’s opening game of the 2008 European championship, which the country co-hosted with Austria, and missed the rest of the tournament.
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