World Cup: This summer is huge for Swiss midfielder Granit Xhaka

The World Cup is fast approaching, and some players are looking forward to it more than others.

There are some players who are simply known as international specialists. You know who I’m talking about, those who can always perform on the international stage, despite their club situation. Granit Xhaka of Switzerland is one of those.

The Swiss international gets a tough ride by the media in England. Although he’s been one of Arsenal’s stand-out and most consistent players this season, he has been pinpointed as the main reason of their downfall.

It’s understandable, as he’s the type of player which the English hate. His rough-natured approach, which outweighs that of the England squad, is bound to rustle a few feathers.

However, he’s quite the unorthodox player. His rough presence would suggest a lack of talent, but it couldn’t be further from the truth. He is the backbone of a team in terms of physical presence, yet he is often a main creative outlet also.

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Applying his trade in the center of the park, a lot of play runs through Xhaka. He is equipped to deal with the high amounts of pressure, as his passing statistics would suggest. He has a broad range of passing, whether it be simple lay-offs or cross-field wonder balls.

For this, he relies on an attack-minded philosophy, mainly orientated around the full-backs. He will have just this with Switzerland, as he looks to provide both Ricardo Rodriguez and Stephan Lichtsteiner.

While he focuses on spraying balls to the right-side, one would assume Rodriguez will get his fair share too. The partnership between Lichtsteiner and Xhaka, captain and vice-captain respectfully, is one to look out for Arsenal fans, as Lichtsteiner is a target of Unai Emery.

There was fears over Xhaka’s World Cup hopes, as he suffered an injury which looked to rule him out of contention. However, upon further inspection, the Swiss medical team has deemed him safe to play, and he will only miss out on a friendly.

This is critical for both Arsenal and Switzerland. New boss Emery would hope his midfielder has a good tournament, as he looks to build a philosophy surrounding a tightly-compact midfield.

It’s a real time to shine for Granit Xhaka, as it looks to be the last World Cup for ageing captain Stephan Lichtsteiner. With Xhaka the heir to his throne, it’s important he wins the trust of Vladimir Petkovic.

Next: World Cup ones to watch: Brazil edition

How far do you think Granit Xhaka will take Switzerland this summer?

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