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Xhaka will not miss World Cup after injury scare

Cape Town - Arsenal midfielder Granit Xhaka is relieved an injury he picked up in training isn't as bad as initially feared.

The 25-year-old former Basel and Borussia Monchengladbach player damaged his left knee while in preparations for the World Cup with Switzerland.

He will miss the international friendly with Spain on Sunday and will most likely also sit out against Japan next Friday.

Vladimir Petkovic's side face a challenging group phase in Russia having been selected alongside Brazil, Serbia and Costa Rica in Group E.

After going down under a heaving challenge in training this week, the Swiss Football Federation revealed that an MRI scan showed only a bruise to a bone in Xhaka's knee.

Speaking to the association's official website, 61-capped international said he was scared he might miss out on going to the World Cup.

"I'm very relieved, Xhaka exclaimed.

"It's just a painful bruise on the knee," added Swiss team doctor Pierre Etienne Fournier.

"We could already see that the ligaments were intact but we wanted to play it safe, also with regard to the meniscus.

"We are very relieved that it is only a painful bone bruise - and very grateful that we were able to do an MRI scan late in the evening."

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