Xhaka and Embolo return to Swiss squad after fake COVID certificate affair

Switzerland captain Granit Xhaka and striker Breel Embolo will again be considered for selection for next month's Nations League matches. The Swiss Football Association said on Tuesday they are returning after being sanctioned for using forged COVID-19 certificates during the pandemic.

Xhaka and Embolo were dropped and missed the first four Nations League games in September and October.

Sunderland midfielder Xhaka is 34 and holds a Swiss record of 152 caps. He admitted using a forged vaccine certificate to avoid mandatory jabs.

Atlanta United forward Embolo is 29. He similarly acknowledged that a penal order against him concerned fake COVID certificates.

In a statement, the Swiss Football Association said it had thoroughly examined both cases and concluded the players' return is justifiable given the completion of legal proceedings and the sporting consequences incurred, having missed four international matches.

National team director Pierluigi Tami said a return to the national team in November is both responsible and the right course of action.

Switzerland coach Murat Yakin, his staff and the players' council unanimously decided that Xhaka will remain captain.

Switzerland are top of Group B1 in the Nations League, with four straight wins. Yakin will announce his squad for the final two Nations League group matches on 5 November, and Xhaka and Embolo are on the shortlist, the Swiss FA said.

Switzerland travel to face second-placed Slovenia on 13 November, then host Scotland in St Gallen three days later.

When the Swiss squad gathered in late September, the Lucerne public prosecutor's office opened an investigation into Xhaka. Xhaka admitted obtaining a fake certificate and stepped down. A few days later, Embolo withdrew from the squad for similar reasons.

Both Xhaka and Embolo were given a suspended fine of 150,000 Swiss francs ($181,225), in place for a probationary period of two years.

The Swiss Football Association has also announced guidelines for handling future matters that involve criminal law.