Cyprus v Switzerland: Switzerland need to recover from a disappointing 1-1 World Cup qualifying draw against Israel with a win over Cyprus today to maintain their place at the forefront of the tense battle for Group Four.
Victory in Basel last Saturday would have given Koebi Kuhn's men a two-point lead over the Republic of Ireland and France.
As it stands, Switzerland, Ireland and France all have 13 points with three matches remaining. Israel are fourth on 12, with two games against the Faroe Islands to come.
"There are a number of things we have to do better than we did against Israel," Kuhn told reporters following the Swiss squad's arrival in Nicosia.
"We cannot afford to give away the same type of free kicks in dangerous areas. We have to make fewer mistakes and hold up the ball better, and there has to be more movement between the individual lines."
Kuhn is expected to name roughly the same line-up as started in Basel, although, following his suspension against Israel, Hamburg midfielder Raphael Wicky should find his way back onto the team sheet, with Lille's Daniel Gygax most likely to miss out.
Grasshoppers Zurich playmaker Ricardo Cabanas is again likely to start on the bench, having picked up a thigh-muscle injury after coming on as a substitute on Saturday.
Cyprus are out of contention with four points from their seven games but could still have a say on who does go through as they play the top three in their remaining three games.
Switzerland needed an 87th-minute Alexander Frei goal to beat Cyprus 1-0 in their March meeting in Zurich and with newly appointed Greek-born coach Angelos Anastasiades taking charge on home soil for the first time they can expect motivated opposition.
Anastasiades, who has accused some unnamed players of putting their clubs before their country, will coach the team from the stands after he received a one-match suspension after being sent off during the 3-0 win in the Faroe Islands.
Cyprus are without the injured George Theotodou and the suspended duo Costas Makrides and Eleftherios Eleftheriou, while there is a question mark over the injured midfielder Stavros Georgiou.
CYPRUS: To be announced.
SWITZERLAND: (probable): Zuberbuehler; Magnin, Senderos, Mueller, Degen, Wicky, Hakan Yakin, Vogel, Barnetta, Vonlanthen, Frei.
Referee: Nicolai Ivanov (Russia)
