Switzerland suffered a major blow ahead of their World Cup round of 16 clash against Colombia (23:00, Sport1): Johan Manzambi, one of the team's standout performers in the tournament, is expected to miss the match due to a knee injury.

According to reports, the midfielder was injured during the final training session in Vancouver in a five-on-five game, apparently without contact from another player. The young star underwent an MRI scan, which revealed he is unlikely to feature against Colombia. Switzerland can take some comfort that the scan ruled out a more serious injury, though it remains unclear if he could return later in the tournament should the team advance.

Manzambi's injury adds to coach Murat Yakin's growing concerns. Ruben Vargas and Jibril Sow also had to leave the final session early, while Michel Aebischer and Luca Zuber had already been listed as doubts in recent days. "We will do everything possible to get them on the pitch," Yakin said ahead of the match, though he admitted "the frustration is of course significant."

Manzambi and Vargas had been among Switzerland's most influential players at the World Cup, combining for eight goal involvements. Manzambi, recently deployed as a number 10 behind or alongside Breel Embolo, is seen as a key factor in elevating the Swiss attack. "He has taken us to a new level, made us much better and still has plenty of potential," Dan Ndoye said of him after the win over Algeria.

Yakin will now need to improvise. The natural candidate to replace Manzambi is Fabian Rieder, who can operate in midfield alongside Granit Xhaka and Remo Freuler while contributing defensively and in attack. A more surprising option is Ardon Jashari of AC Milan, who has seen just one minute of action so far but could earn a starting spot.

Yakin also faces issues on the flanks, particularly if Vargas is unavailable. In that case, Noah Okafor may start. At the back, however, the coach is expected to retain the back four that began the victory over Algeria.

France will face Morocco in the opening quarterfinal on Thursday.