Granit Xhaka won't be involved in the Switzerland squad for the upcoming Nations League match against Scotland.
The Sunderland midfielder has pulled out of the national team squad amid an investigation into a false Covid-19 certificate.
Xhaka says he is "co-operating with the relevant authorities" over the matter as he admitted he felt "deep distrust" of the vaccine and was "plagued by fear and uncertainty".
The Swiss federation have confirmed Xhaka won't feature during this international break.
In a statement, Xhaka said: “In recent days, there has been much reporting about a matter from my past. I would like to address this personally.
“At the time, I was personally very uncertain and had serious concerns regarding the Covid-19 vaccination. I felt deep distrust of the vaccine and was plagued by fear and uncertainty.
“In this turbulent emotional state, I obtained a vaccination certificate instead of clarifying my open questions through the proper channels.
“Today I clearly see that this was not the right course of action. It was a mistake. I am sorry. I take responsibility for this decision, am committed to investigating the matter and am fully cooperating with the relevant authorities.”
“Granit Xhaka informed us about the situation last night and told us that he will address it publicly and take responsibility,” explained Swiss Football Association president Peter Knabel.
“We welcome Granit taking this step and facing the consequences. At the same time, we jointly concluded that it is in the team’s best interest to complete this training camp without him. Our priority now is to calm the situation and focus entirely on the team and the upcoming challenges in the UEFA Nations League.”
A spokesperson for the Lucerne Cantonal Prosecutor’s Office said: “The aim is to clarify whether there has been conduct relevant under criminal law in connection with the possible fraudulent obtaining of a false certification and/or document forgery.”
