BERN, Switzerland — Switzerland captain Gokhan Inler has been dropped from the national team squad for friendly matches three months before the European Championship.
The Swiss soccer federation says it is the first time in 10 years that the midfielder for Premier League leader Leicester is left out by choice.
The federation says coach Vladimir Petkovic’s decision is for sporting reasons, because Inler is rarely getting playing time from Leicester coach Claudio Ranieri.
Switzerland plays at Ireland on March 25 and hosts Bosnia-Herzegovina four days later to prepare for Euro 2016.
Petkovic’s 24-man squad includes first calls for 19-year-old Nico Elvedi, a defender with Borussia Moenchengladbach, and Shani Tarashaj, a 21-year-old Everton forward who is on loan at Grasshoppers.
Tarashaj is also eligible for Albania, which plays Switzerland at Euro 2016.
