Switzerland
Injuries and a lack of competition are a problem
The Swiss are worryingly short of practice against top-level opposition
The Swiss squad heading to Russia looks to be one of the strongest they have ever managed to assemble. An outstanding generation of players – many of them from families who arrived from the Balkans in the 1990s – are now in their mid-20s and what should be the peak of their careers.
The team reached a best-ever sixth place in the FIFA rankings in March, the result of a qualifying campaign which saw them win nine out of 10 games despite losing top spot to Portugal. But there are still question marks over the side as they head to a fourth successive World Cup.
Firstly, the Swiss are worryingly short of practice against top-level opposition as only the two qualifiers against Portugal can fall into that category. They won the first 2-0 in Basle, when Portugal were caught napping after their Euro 2016 triumph and missing Cristiano Ronaldo, but were found badly wanting in the return as Portugal reversed the scoreline.
The other worry is the form of several key players, with a number falling out of favour at their club sides and others plagued by injuries.
Right-back and national captain Stephan Lichtsteiner has been getting less and less playing time at Serie A champions Juventus, while Fabian Schar, who was the lynchpin of the defence during qualifying, has not been playing at Deportivo La Coruna. Midfielder Valon Behrami has had an injury-plagued season at Udinese, Admir Mehmedi suffered a torn ligament in his foot at Wolfsburg and Haris Seferovic, the first-choice striker, scored four goals early in the season for Benfica before being relegated to the bench.
In the past, Switzerland have not always been a team that neutrals would go out of their way to watch, and their goalless draw against Ukraine in 2006 will be remembered as one of the dullest to have blighted the World Cup. But the current side are a far cry from that.
Vladimir Petkovic has told his team they are no longer “little Switzerland” and should look to dominate games, whoever they are playing. If their top players can perform to their potential, a quarter-final place would not be beyond them.