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Spycher to miss World Cup in South Africa

Swiss defender Christoph Spycher is to miss the World Cup after failing to recover from an injury to his left knee.

Spycher, who has played 47 times for the national side, said he now planned to retire from international football.

The 32-year-old footballer damaged knee ligaments on April 10 playing for Eintracht Frankfurt in Germany’s Bundesliga.

The Swiss Football Association said on Tuesday that trainer Ottmar Hitzfeld has called former captain Ludovic Magnin into his 23-man squad as Spycher’s replacement.

Spycher said he’d “had a great time with the national team, but that’s over now”.

FC Zurich left-back Magnin has played 61 internationals and will go to his fourth consecutive major tournament.

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