Vlahovic willing to play ´with one leg´ as Serbia approach must-win meeting with Switzerland

Dusan Vlahovic believes his injury woes are behind him ahead of Serbia’s must-win World Cup clash with Switzerland on Friday, declaring he would play “with one leg” if necessary.

Vlahovic was an unused substitute as Serbia squandered a 3-1 lead in Monday’s thrilling 3-3 draw with Cameroon, having only played 24 minutes from the bench in their 2-0 loss to Brazil on matchday one after struggling with a groin injury.

Serbia must beat Switzerland to have any chance of reaching the last 16, while their fate could be decided by goal difference if Cameroon beat Brazil, and Vlahovic is determined to be involved.

Asked about his condition at a press conference on Wednesday, Vlahovic said: “I managed to recover in 10 days to be available for the national team.

“We all talk to the coach every day, he knows my possibilities. If needed with one leg, I’m ready.

“The question is how much I can help the team. I feel much better and I’m ready to help us go for the win.

“We feel the support and you can see and feel in the air that the people believe in us. We knew that the game with Switzerland would be decisive for us, we live for it.

“Against them, we promise to play to the maximum. If they are better, let them beat us, if not, we will win.”

Serbia 3-3 Cameroon: WHAT. A. GAME.#FIFAWorldCup | #Qatar2022 pic.twitter.com/eSObqjnJ58

— Opta Analyst (@OptaAnalyst) November 28, 2022

Switzerland edged out Serbia by two points to qualify from Group E at the 2018 World Cup, claiming a 2-1 victory from a highly charged head-to-head meeting between the teams.

In the aftermath of that game, Switzerland goalscorers Granit Xhaka and Xherdan Shaqiri – both of whom are of Albanian-Kosovan descent – were charged by FIFA after appearing to celebrate their strikes by performing an Albanian nationalist gesture.

Those celebrations led to Serbia – which does not recognise Kosovo’s independence – lodging a formal complaint, but Vlahovic was unwilling to stray from on-pitch matters ahead of the teams’ reunion.

“We are not interested in provocations, we are here for the football story,” Vlahovic said.

“There is nothing better and more beautiful than to win the next match. The passage to the knockout phase will mean everything to the whole nation and us.”