SOCCER/Group 10: Injuries in a number of key positions will force Switzerland coach Koebi Kuhn to pick a much-altered team for their Euro 2004 Group 10 qualifier against Russia this evening.
Victory for the Swiss will seal their place in the finals in Portugal next summer while a Russian victory will help them stay in contention for at least a place in the play-offs.
With Switzerland on 12 points from six matches, Ireland with 11 from seven, Russia (eight from six) and Georgia (seven from five), the group appears to be wide open still, but Switzerland can seal it with a victory.
Originally Kuhn was confident that he would be able to choose his preferred starting line-up for the match.
But attacking midfielder Hakin Yakin has still to recover from a groin operation while midfielders Mario Cantaluppi and Ludovic Magnin will also miss the game with injuries.
In addition, Kuhn's first-choice goalkeeper and captain Jorg Stiel did not travel to Moscow with the rest of the squad because of a knee injury.
FC Basel goalkeeper Pascal Zuberbuehler will replace Stiel in goal with the captain's armband going to central defender Stephane Henchoz, of Liverpool.
Kuhn has so far favoured a 4-4-2 formation in Switzerland's qualifying campaign and utility player Patrick Mueller could be preferred to Bruno Berner at left full-back in Kuhn's defence.
Cantaluppi's absence could see Johann Vogel partnered by Fabio Celestini in central midfield, with Ricardo Cabanas and Raphael Wicky on the right and left of midfield, respectively.
However, Russia have their own injury worries. Influential midfielder Dmitry Alenichev, who played on the left wing in the 1-1 draw against Ireland last Saturday in Dublin is out for up to four weeks with a foot injury.
CSKA defender Andrei Solomatin was called up by manager Georgy Yartsev, but Yevgeny Aldonin is more likely to replace Alenichev. Solomatin last played in Russia's 4-2 win over Romania in a friendly tournament in Cyprus last February.
Spartak players, midfielder Yegor Titov and defender Yuri Kovtun, who missed the Ireland match because they were ill, are back in the squad.
"The match against Switzerland has become a key encounter in this situation. Our future - without any exaggeration - depends totally on this game," striker Dmitry Bulykin, one of the most outstanding players in Dublin, told journalists.
Republic of Ireland manager Brian Kerr will be at the match in Moscow to run his eye over the Swiss for Ireland's final game in Basel on Saturday, October 11th.
In a wide open Group 10 Georgia -- still in contention for a place in the finals - travel to Albania tonight seeking a win that would leave them only a point behind Ireland going into their last game, away to Russia.
PROBABLE TEAMS
RUSSIA: Sergei Ovchinnikov; Vadim Yevseyev, Viktor Onopko, Sergei Ignashevich, Dmitry Sennikov; Yevgeny Aldonin, Rolan Gusev, Yegor Titov, Alexander Mostovoi; Alexander Kerzhakov, Dmitry Bulykin.
SWITZERLAND: Pascal Zuberbuehler; Patrick Mueller, Stephane Henchoz, Murat Yakin, Remo Meyer; Raphael Wicky, Johann Vogel, Fabio Celestini, Ricardo Cabanas; Stephane Chapuisat, Alexander Frei.
Referee: Pierluigi Collina (Italy).
