Newcastle United transfer target Johan Manzambi has been ruled out of Switzerland's World Cup quarter-final with Argentina tonight in a huge blow for the attacking midfielder. The 20-year-old Swiss star has been one of his team's key players in the tournament, but missed their last-16 win over Colombia with a knee injury. Although Switzerland had hoped the injury would heal after rest, manager Murat Yakin confirmed Manzambi is still unable to take part in the game against Lionel Messi and Co, which kicks off at 2am UK time in Kansas.
Manager's Reaction
"Unfortunately, Johan Manzambi's injury hurts us enormously," Yakin said. "It was a real shock. He had momentum on his side. You could see the joy with which he was playing and also how his team-mates responded. You could see how well everything had been functioning during this tournament. Unfortunately, he can't play. That's very painful, but we'll absorb that as a team."
Transfer Update
Newcastle are confident of completing a deal worth £49 million for Manzambi, having agreed the fee with his club SC Freiburg. United representatives have secured a verbal agreement with the player, but he will not finalise any move until after Switzerland's World Cup involvement is over. The Swiss are underdogs against Argentina in tonight's quarter-final, with the winners progressing to face either England or Norway in the semi-final.
Tournament Performance
Manzambi has been one of the stars of the tournament so far, scoring twice in the 4-1 win over Bosnia and Herzegovina in the group stages before bagging the winner in the 2-1 victory over Canada, which ensured Switzerland finished top of their group. He scored seven times for Bundesliga outfit Freiburg last season and added a further nine assists in 47 appearances in all competitions.
