Switzerland playmaker Hakan Yakin has been left out of his country's World Cup finals squad after suffering an injury-hit season.

The 29-year-old has struggled with groin problems for much of the campaign and a late-season return to action with Young Boys came too late to impress coach Kobi Kuhn.

He said: "Yakin is a talented player, but we have a lot of other talented players to choose from.

"I watched his last couple of games and could see how much he improved under the pressure, but I also have to think of the life of the team and I think there are some question marks over him in that regard.

"I spoke to him about my decision and I think he has accepted it, with a heavy heart of course."

Squad

Goalkeepers: Zuberbuhler (FC Basel), Coltorti (Grasshoppers Zurich), Benaglio (CD Nacional).

Defenders: Djourou (Arsenal), Magnin (VfB Stuttgart), Senderos (Arsenal), Grichting (Auxerre), Spycher (Eintracht Frankfurt), Behrami (Lazio), Muller (Olympique Lyon), Degen (Borussia Dortmund).

Midfielders: Margairaz (FC Zurich), Vogel (AC Milan), Cabanas (Cologne), Wicky (Hamburg), Gygax (Lille), Degen (FC Basel), Dzemaili (FC Zurich), Barnetta (Bayer Leverkusen).

Strikers: Frei (Rennnes), Streller (Cologne), Lustrinelli (Sparta Prague), Vonlanthen (NAC Breda).