Rubén Vargas doubtful for 13 June Switzerland opener

Rubén Vargas is still being managed carefully and could be short of full fitness for Switzerland’s World Cup debut on 13 June against Qatar. The Sevilla winger has been hindered by injuries, and that leaves his role in Murat Yakin’s plans unsettled with the opener only days away.

Vargas and Switzerland

Last week, Vargas had to leave a training session, then Yakin chose to rest him for the final test against Australia. He remains an important player for the coach, who has started him when available, but the pattern around his fitness has made every session matter more than normal.

The 27-year-old’s season has been stop-start since January, when he relapsed in the match against Celta de Vigo. He returned definitively in March and has not completed a match again since then, even though he has still managed two assists after that recovery.

Sevilla’s transfer plan

Sevilla had expected Vargas and Djibril Sow to use the World Cup as a showcase that could help facilitate sales in the next winter transfer window. That plan depended on both players arriving in the tournament with momentum, because the club needs sales and was looking at the event as a chance to strengthen their visibility.

Sow has provided five goals and four assists this season, but he also started on the bench in Switzerland’s two most recent friendlies. Several Swiss media outlets have said Switzerland could use a 3-4-3 formation at the World Cup, a setup that adds another layer to how Yakin balances his options for the opening match.

Qatar on 13 June

Switzerland opens against Qatar on Saturday, 13 June, and Vargas’s condition is now part of that build-up rather than a settled detail. If he is not ready to handle a full match, Switzerland may have to adjust early, while Sevilla loses part of the showcase it had been banking on for the summer market.