England to be tested in Basel
Switzerland will get their 2012 European championship qualifying campaign underway as they host England in Basel on Tuesday evening.
Fabio Capello's team must feel confident after a resounding 4–0 victory against Bulgaria on Friday night, but they should also be aware that their trip to Switzerland could prove more demanding.
Having drawn with Australia in a goalless friendly on Friday, Omar Hitzfeld's Swiss team will be eager to get their competitive campaign underway. Switzerland have partaken in the last two European championships, and entering the 2012 championship is a realistic goal for them.
A win for England would complete the best of starts to the qualifying campaign, as it would mean the second and third seeds of the group have both been overcome.
Rooney may be left out
Capello has two main concerns with regards to his team selection against Switzerland. Striker Wayne Rooney has been bombarded in the press about an alleged affair in the past couple of days, meaning he may be feeling the pressure and in need of a rest.
Capello is thought to have spoken with Rooney privately about the matter. It remains to be seen whether the Manchester United man will feature in Basel.
Then there is the question of who will partner Everton's Phil Jagielka in central defence. Tottenham's Michael Dawson picked up a knee injury against Bulgaria, his first competitive debut for England, and will be replaced either by West Ham's Matthew Upson or Gary Cahill of Bolton. Given Upson's poor display against Germany in this summer's World Cup, Cahill is likely to get the nod.
Tottenham striker Jermain Defoe picked up a knock to his ankle as he scored his third goal against Bulgaria, but that shouldn't keep him from starting against Switzerland.
If Rooney starts, Capello will be tempted to employ him just behind Defoe, as he did against Bulgaria to great effect. But he should also be weary of Switzerland's Gokhan Inler, Udinese's promising holding midfielder, who, like Rooney, will be positioned between the Swiss defence and midfield.
Duo absent for Switzerland
The Swiss team may suffer in the absence of Fulham's Philippe Senderos and Mario Eggimann of Hannover 96, but he can rely on the services of Inler and Sampdoria's Marco Padalino in midfield. Captain Alexander Frei, 31, will bring an impressive striking record and plenty of international experience to the game.
Even without a win in their last six international matches at home, Hitzfeld's men should feel strengthened by their performance at the World Cup, where they defeated eventual champions Spain 1–0 in the first group game.
The Swiss also managed a goalless draw against Honduras, but lost their second match against Chile to end their hopes of progressing from the group stage.
England with the historical upper hand
Switzerland have lost 13 of their last 20 meetings with England, drawing four and winning three. England won their last encounter at Wembley in 2008, when Shaun Wright-Phillips' goal handed England the friendly win.
It was against Switzerland that Wayne Rooney, then at Everton, scored a brace in the 2004 European championships. His performance in the game attracted international attention and eventually led to Rooney signing for United later on that summer.
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