Switzerland will be without Christoph Spycher for this summer's World Cup finals due to a knee injury.
Knee injury curtails defender's World Cup
Switzerland will be without Christoph Spycher for this summer's World Cup finals due to a knee injury.
The 32-year-old, who is joining Young Boys, damaged knee ligaments playing for Eintracht Frankfurt last month but had still hoped to feature.
However, after visiting a specialist and being told it was unclear when the defender could resume training, head coach Ottmar Hitzfeld has acted.
Hitzfeld has called ex-captain Ludovic Magnin into his 23-man squad to replace Spycher, who has now confirmed his Swiss retirement.
Unclear
"It is not clear at this moment when I can start training fully again," he told the Swiss federation's
official website.
"So after consultation with the doctors and physios I had no other choice but to inform the coach that he must plan without me.
"I have taken this decision after careful consideration," the 47-cap man said on hanging up his international boots.
"I have had a great time with the national team but that's over now. I can now concentrate fully on Young Boys."
