Granit Xhaka will not entertain Sweden wind-up tactics as Switzerland aim for first World Cup quarter-final in 64 years

Granit Xhaka has said he is too experienced to fall for Swedish provocation in Tuesday's World Cup 2018 quarter-final after Mikael Lustig vowed to get the Arsenal man sent off.

Ahead of the last-16 clash in St. Petersburg, Sweden and Celtic defender Lustig said: "We have heard that he has seen many red cards in the Premier League. We will exploit it. We have to keep cool and see that he is sent off the pitch."

Xhaka was sent off nine times in three years from the start of 2014, more times than any player in Europe's top five leagues, although his last red card was back in January 2017 in Arsenal's 2-1 win over Burnley.

For the midfielder, who was booked ten times for the Gunners last season, the comment was all part of the usual pre-match mind games and he insisted he will not succumb to Swedish provocation.

"I understand it," he said. "My friends have told me what the player said. It's no problem for me. It's part of pre-match provocation if you like.

"But I have learned a lot in my time and I'm confident I won't be pushed out of the game. Quite possibly I will stay on the pitch all the way to the end. This is my objective of course."

'Lustig' is German for 'funny', and Switzerland coach Vladimir Petkovic added: "We say it [the comment] was 'lustig'. Funny."

AFP/Getty Images

Xhaka and Swiss teammates Xherdan Shaqiri and Stephan Lichtsteiner were fined by Fifa for linking their thumbs to gesture the two-headed eagle, an Albanian symbol of Kosovan nationalism, in the victory over Serbia.

In another act of Swedish provocation, Leeds centre-back Pontus Jansson was pictured laughing and doing the gesture in training this week. Xhaka was asked about Jansson's actions but he refused to comment, before a Fifa official requested questions relating to the game only.

The winner of the contest will face either England or Colombia in the quarter-final in what is widely regarded as the easier half of the draw, but Petković warned England boss Gareth Southgate about the quality of both sides in tomorrow's game.

"Throughout the World Cup we've played really well," he said. "There's not much to say about Sweden -- they kicked out Italy in qualifying and have progressed really quickly. These are not weak opponents.

"England have made great progress as well. England are a great team. Let us talk about them like that. We can be a surprise to those people who underestimate us."

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