Line-ups: Switzerland vs. Italy

Italy bring in Domenico Berardi, Manuel Locatelli, Giorgio Chiellini and Giovanni Di Lorenzo, but Federico Chiesa is benched against a reshuffled Switzerland.

This 2022 World Cup qualifier kicks off at St. Jakob-Park on Sunday at 19.45 UK time (18.45 GMT).

You can follow all the build-up and action as it happens and give your views on the LIVEBLOG.

World Cup qualifier Liveblog: Switzerland vs. Italy

This is a showdown for the only automatic qualifying place in the tournament, as Italy have 10 points from four games, while the Swiss won both their matches.

The Azzurri returned to action after winning UEFA EURO 2020 with a 1-1 draw against Bulgaria on Thursday, but Roberto Mancini makes four changes.

He brings in Chiellini and Di Lorenzo for Francesco Acerbi and Alessandro Florenzi, while Locatelli replaces Marco Verratti, who sustained a knock to the knee in that game.

Locatelli scored twice when Italy beat Switzerland in the EURO 2020 group stage in June, but this is his first start of the season.

Surprisingly, Chiesa is benched in favour of Berardi, despite the Juventus man scoring against Bulgaria.

Switzerland have a new coach, having brought in Murat Yakin for Vladimir Petkovic since the Euros came to a close.

They are missing several key players, as captain Granit Xhaka tested positive for COVID-19.

Also absent are Xherdan Shaqiri, Mario Gavranovic and Breel Embolo, along with suspended Atalanta midfielder Remo Freuler.

Fabian Frei was drafted in on Thursday following Xhaka’s COVID test and the 32-year-old FC Basel man makes his first appearance for Switzerland since March 2018.

He hasn’t started for his country since a 5-2 World Cup qualifier against Hungary in October 2017.

Eray Cömert pulled out of the squad after sustaining head trauma with concussion during the match against Greece.

The system moves from a 4-2-3-1 to a 4-3-2-1, supporting centre-forward and ex-Fiorentina player Haris Seferovic.

Switzerland: Sommer; Widmer, Elvedi, Akanji, Rodriguez; Aebischer, Frei, Sow; Zuber, Steffen; Seferovic

Switzerland bench: Mvogo, Kobel, Garcia, Zakaria, Zeqiri, Lauper, Fassnacht, Ndoye, Vargas, Lotomba, Schär, Zesiger

Italy: Donnarumma; Di Lorenzo, Bonucci, Chiellini, Emerson; Barella, Jorginho, Locatelli; Berardi, Immobile, Insigne

Italy bench: Sirigu, Gollini, Calabria, Verratti, Pellegrini, Raspadori, Pessina, Chiesa, Toloi, Cristante, Zaniolo, Bastoni

Ref: Del Cerro Grande (ESP)