Embolo's exclusion comes as a result of fresh reporting in national media about his past case of obtaining forged test certificates in 2021. The 29-year-old forward was already suspended for the game Saturday against North Macedonia due to his controversial red card against Argentina in the World Cup quarterfinals.
Embolo's past mistakes have now caught up with him, with the Swiss soccer federation stating that this decision aims to allow the team to remain fully focused on the next matches. The team will now have to adapt to the loss of one of their key players, with captain Granit Xhaka also withdrawing from the squad due to an investigation of a doctor issuing fake vaccination certificates.
Embolo's exclusion is a significant blow to the team, but it remains to be seen how they will cope without him. The team's next match is against Scotland on Tuesday, and they will have to regroup and refocus in order to achieve a positive result.