Switzerland wait on Johan Manzambi fitness ahead of Colombia World Cup matchup

The SC Freiburg star was forced to leave Switzerland's final training session after picking up a knee injury, reportedly without any contact from a teammate. His availability remains uncertain as he undergoes further medical assessment.

Head coach Murat Yakin admitted the situation has created concern ahead of one of Switzerland's biggest matches of the tournament.

"If they might not play tomorrow, it can be a huge issue for us," Yakin said, referring to Manzambi, Ruben Vargas and Djibril Sow, who all picked up injury concerns during training. "We will see what happens this afternoon because they will go through some medical examination, but this is football. You always have to adjust until the very last minute."

Defender Luca Jaquez and midfielder Michel Aebischer also missed training, leaving Yakin with several injury concerns before the knockout tie.

Despite the uncertainty, the Switzerland coach remains confident that his squad can cope if changes are required.

"Everybody wants to play. We have so many different options," Yakin said. "If something happens it's not going to be a disaster. I saw two very good training sessions yesterday and the day before yesterday, and I am very optimistic. This is part of football."

Manzambi has been one of the breakout stars of the World Cup. The 20-year-old has scored three goals and provided two assists in four appearances after forcing his way into the starting line-up with a brilliant display against Bosnia-Herzegovina.

He has since scored against Canada and also set up Breel Embolo's opening goal in Switzerland's 2-0 victory over Algeria, making himself one of the team's most influential players.

Captain Granit Xhaka believes the youngster has a bright future.

"He's on his way to being a very, very good player," Xhaka said. "He's young, the hunger is big, and he's very helpful for our team."

Forward Dan Ndoye also praised Manzambi's rapid rise.

"What he's doing at his age is incredible," Ndoye said. "He's an incredible player for us, and he helped us take the next step. He has a lot to improve, but he makes us so much better, and we are really happy to have him in the team."