15.03.2016 14:05 h

Injured Swiss striker Drmic to miss Euro 2016

Switzerland striker Josip Drmic will miss the European championship in France this June and is out for the rest of the season after suffering a knee injury playing for Hamburg.

The 23-year-old scored three goals in nine Euro 2016 qualifying games to help the Swiss book their berth and will face Albania, hosts France and Romania in Group A.

Drmic has damaged his knee cartilage and needs an operation after coming off the bench for the second-half of Sunday's 1-0 defeat at Bayer Leverkusen in Germany's top flight.

The Swiss football federation has confirmed Drmic will miss the Euro 2016 finals which start on June 10.

"This is a bitter blow and a great loss for the national team and the Hamburg," said Swiss head coach Vladimir Petkovic.

Drmic, who was on loan at Hamburg until the end of the season from Borussia Moenchengladbach, posted a photograph on his Facebook page of him using crutches.

"I am really sorry this has happened because I was really up for doing a lot with Hamburg in the second half of the season," he wrote.

"You can imagine that I am finding it difficult to be optimistic at the moment.

"But I have always been a fighter and will fight to be back on the pitch again as soon as possible."