National team on alert Wälti, Reuteler, Luyet and Bühler out - and now Bachmann is also flat

Luana Bühler won't even be joining the team, Lia Wälti, Naomi Luyet and Géraldine Reuteler are leaving the camp early and Ramona Bachmann is flat with the flu. The national team is already on the ropes before the kick-off against Germany.

On November 19, Pia Sundhage will announce her squad for the matches against world-class teams Germany and England. The same 23 players will be called up as in the recent matches against Australia (1-1) and France. As the coach is allowed to nominate two more players than last time, two returning players, Seraina Piubel and Alena Bienz, will also be called up.

Ready for a sensation?Swiss squad in form check ahead of the cracker duels against Germany and England

In the meantime, however, the squad looks completely different. Almost all the players who had to be on call have actually received a call-up. And not just any players are missing, but only those who were in the starting eleven against both Australia and France, including captain Lia Wälti.

Two days after the squad was announced, the first refusal followed: defender Luana Bühler had to declare a forfeit. The 28-year-old Tottenham international will be replaced by GC player Noemi Ivelj, who is ten years younger.

YB shooting star Naomi Luyet left the camp on Monday, just a few hours after joining the squad, due to pelvic problems. The 18-year-old has been on fire of late, scoring a dream goal to give Switzerland victory against France. Aurélie Csillag from FC Basel takes her place.

Less than five hours after Luyet's bitter exit, the next piece of bad news follows. National team captain Lia Wälti also had to leave and reported from a hospital bed in the evening. "What looked small turned out to be an abscess. Because we recognized it early, I got the help I needed. It's a reminder to always look after your body." She listened to him, trusted her instincts and had it checked out, she says. "Please take care of yourself and never ignore the little signs!"

Appeal from the hospitalLia Wälti: "Please take care of yourselves and never ignore the small signs"

Stephanie Waeber is invited to the audition instead of the 121-time international. The 23-year-old YB player is taking part for the first time. She has shown time and again in the league that she has qualities. But is it enough for her to shine on the big stage? One thing is clear: Nobody expects the potential debutant to adequately replace Lia Wälti of all people.

YB captain in top formStephanie Waeber tries out for the national team with this dream goal

Anyone who thinks that's all the bad news is mistaken. On Tuesday evening, Géraldine Reuteler, the next undisputed regular player, retired. The 25-year-old made her debut for the national team in 2017 and now has 73 international appearances under her belt. Her absence hurts, but recently she has been in top form at the club and in the national team. In the 1:1 against Australia, for example, she shone as a goalscorer.

Reuteler will be replaced by 21-year-old Riola Xhemaili, who has also been on fire at PSV Eindhoven. blue Sport called her original non-nomination the only surprise in Sundhage's squad. Xhemaili has already made her mark in the national team, scoring five goals in 28 games for Switzerland. She should be eager to work her way back up the hierarchy with top performances.

A media appointment with Ramona Bachmann is scheduled for Wednesday. But the star striker (151 games, 60 goals) will not be appearing in front of the media. Instead, bed rest is the order of the day. Bachmann is suffering from a "mild flu", according to the association. The hope is that she will recover in time and so no players will (yet) be called up to replace her.

Nati star in baby blissRamona Bachmann and her wife Charlotte are expecting their first child

At least at the press conference, the expectant mommy will be replaced. She will be replaced by Meriame Terchoun, who will become the godmother of Bachmann's child, as she reveals with a smile on her face. Terchoun is lively and feels fit. However, she has already taken quite a beating, as a tape on her hand reveals. When asked about this, the 29-year-old describes how she straddled an opponent in training and overstretched the ligaments on her fingers. This would undoubtedly be a bigger problem for a handball player than for a footballer, but it's still not pleasant.

If it becomes clear that Bachmann will not be fit in time, only Amira Arfaoui of the outfield players on the standby list will be available, as all the others have already been called up.

Yes, the Swiss national team is on the ropes and seems to be on the verge of being knocked out. But as the saying goes: knocked-out boxers are the most dangerous. And so the games against Germany and England could go either way. At least on Wednesday evening, the national team officials won't have to announce any further absentees, which in the current situation is already tantamount to a small success story.