Kuhn names provisional party

'By Marco Keller

Switzerland coach Jakob Kuhn has released a provisional list of 26 players for UEFA EURO 2004™. He will shorten it by three on 2 June - the date of both Switzerland's friendly against Germany and UEFA's deadline for naming squads.

Question mark
Kuhn's selection will have surprised no one although there remains a question mark against defender Ludovic Magnin, who has been struggling with a thigh injury. A central defender, probably Marco Zwyssig or Stéphane Grichting, and a midfield player are also expected to miss out.

Thurre rewarded
Meanwhile, striker Léonard Thurre has been rewarded for his fine form for Servette FC in the final weeks of the season with his first call-up since breaking his hand more than a year ago. Thurre made three appearances in qualifying.

Switzerland's provisional squad

Goalkeepers
Fabrice Borer (Grasshopper-Club)
Jörg Stiel (VfL Borussia Mönchengladbach)
Pascal Zuberbühler (FC Basel 1893)

Defenders
Bruno Berner (FC Freiburg)
Stéphane Grichting (AJ Auxerre)
Bernt Haas (West Bromwich Albion FC)
Stéphane Henchoz (Liverpool FC)
Ludovic Magnin (SV Werder Bremen)
Patrick Müller (Olympique Lyonnais)
Remo Meyer (TSV 1860 München)
Christoph Spycher (Grasshopper-Club)
Murat Yakin (FC Basel 1893)
Marco Zwyssig (FC Basel 1893)

Midfielders
Ricardo Cabanas (Grasshopper-Club)
Fabio Celestini (Olympique de Marseille)
Benjamin Huggel (FC Basel 1893)
Johann Lonfat (FC Sochaux Montbéliard)
Johann Vogel (PSV Eindhoven)
Raphael Wicky (Hamburger SV)
Hakan Yakin (VfB Stuttgart).

Forwards
Stéphane Chapuisat (BSC Young Boys)
Alex Frei (Stade Rennais FC)
Daniel Gygax (FC Zürich)
Milaim Rama (FC Thun)
Marco Streller (VfB Stuttgart)
Léonard Thurre (Servette FC)