England depleted in Switzerland

Co-hosts of the last UEFA European Championship, Switzerland will begin their campaign to reach Poland and Ukraine with a home match against Fabio Capello's England in Group G.

Team news
• Defenders Philippe Senderos (Achilles) and Mario Eggimann (hip) are absent for Switzerland, while Xavier Margairaz was brought in following an injury to Hakan Yakin. Tranquillo Barnetta has also withdrawn with a fever; Marco Padalino takes his place. Goalkeeper Diego Benaglio's wife is expecting their first child and could also miss out. Ottmar Hitzfeld rested regulars Steve von Bergen, Reto Ziegler, Xherdan Shaqiri and Pirmin Schwegler for Friday's 0-0 friendly draw against Australia.

• Meanwhile, English-born right-back Scott Sutter hopes to upset his one-time home nation. "This country has become my home," the 24-year-old said. "However, it is doubly special to be in the squad to face the nation where I was born and grew up."

• Switzerland squad
Goalkeepers: Diego Benaglio (VfL Wolfsburg), Germano Vailati (FC St.
Gallen), Marco Wölfli (BSC Young Boys)
Defenders: François Affolter (BSC Young Boys), Stéphane Grichting (AJ Auxerre), Stephan Lichtsteiner (S.S. Lazio), Scott Sutter (BSC Young Boys), Steve von Bergen (AC Cesena), Reto Ziegler (UC Sampdoria)
Midfielders: Marco Padalino (UC Sampdoria), Moreno Costanzo (BSC Young Boys), David Degen (BSC Young Boys), Gelson Fernandes (AS Saint-Etienne), Gökhan Inler (Udinese Calcio), Pirmin Schwegler (Eintracht Frankfurt), Xherdan Shaqiri (FC Basel 1893), Xavier Margairaz (FC Zürich)
Forwards: Albert Bunjaku (1. FC Nürnberg), Eren Derdiyok (Bayer 04 Leverkusen), Alexander Frei (FC Basel 1893), Marco Streller (FC Basel 1893)

• Already denied the services of Frank Lampard (hernia), John Terry (hamstring), Bobby Zamora (thigh), Peter Crouch (back) and Rio Ferdinand (knee), Fabio Capello must now make do without Michael Dawson after the Tottenham Hotspur FC defender was sent back to his club for a scan on a knee injury he sustained in Friday's 4-0 win against Bulgaria. Gary Cahill made his debut as substitute for Dawson.

• "I'm focused on the game," said Capello after Jermain Defoe's hat-trick helped ensure victory at Wembley. "I thought we were really good; the movement, the pressing and the way we moved the ball very quickly. I'm really happy because in the last interview, I said the players trained well and the spirit was good."

England squad
Goalkeepers: Joe Hart (Manchester City FC), Scott Carson (West Bromwich Albion FC), Ben Foster (Birmingham City FC)
Defenders: Glen Johnson (Liverpool FC), Phil Jagielka (Everton), Matthew Upson (West Ham United FC), Gary Cahill (Bolton Wanderers FC), Ashley Cole (Chelsea FC), Kieran Gibbs (Arsenal FC), Joleon Lescott (Manchester City FC)
Midfielders: James Milner (Manchester City FC), Theo Walcott (Arsenal FC), Steven Gerrard (Liverpool FC), Gareth Barry (Manchester City FC), Michael Carrick (Manchester United FC), Ashley Young (Aston Villa FC), Adam Johnson (Manchester City FC), Shaun Wright-Phillips (Manchester City FC)
Forwards: Wayne Rooney (Manchester United FC), Darren Bent (Sunderland AFC), Jermain Defoe (Tottenham Hotspur FC), Carlton Cole (West Ham United FC)

Match background
• Switzerland's record in 20 previous outings against England reads W3 D4 L13 (W3 D1 L7 at home).

• The teams' most recent encounter came in a friendly at Wembley on 6 February 2008, in what was Capello's first match at the England helm. Shaun Wright-Phillips scored the winner after Switzerland's Eren Derdiyok had cancelled out Jermaine Jenas's first-half opener.

• Switzerland and England have twice met in the finals of a UEFA European Championship. The last of those games was a Group B fixture at UEFA EURO 2004, when England triumphed 3-0 in Coimbra thanks to a double from Wayne Rooney and a late Steven Gerrard strike. Switzerland's Bernt Haas was sent off with an hour gone.

• Eight years earlier at EURO '96, Kübilay Türkyilmaz's 83rd-minute penalty earned Switzerland a 1-1 draw in the opening match of the tournament after Alan Shearer had given hosts England the lead.

• England took three points off Switzerland during qualifying for the 1972 UEFA European Championship, winning 3-2 in Basel in October 1971 before drawing the return 1-1 a month later.

• The nations also met at the 1954 FIFA World Cup finals, when England defeated hosts Switzerland 2-0 in Berne on 20 June 1954 via goals from Jimmy Mullen and Dennis Wilshaw.

• Two of Switzerland's three victories came in Zurich friendlies in 1938 and 1947, while their last success was a 2-1 win in a 1982 World Cup qualifier in Basel – after England had conjured a 2-1 home victory in the same campaign.

• The nations first met in a friendly in Berne on 20 May 1933, when England came out on top thanks to a 4-0 triumph.