Federer and Co will choose the surface of the tie

Federer missed his country's first round defeat by the Netherlands because it clashed with his regular schedule.

"I will be delighted to represent Switzerland. Hopefully I can help keep the team in the World Group of next year's Davis Cup," said Federer.

The winners of the tie are assured of a place in the 16-nation World Group.

Britain, who squeezed past Israel 3-2 in March, would have been underdogs for the trip to Switzerland even without Federer.

But Britain's captain Jeremy Bates said: "It's an exciting challenge. The opportunity to play against the world number one is something everyone should look forward to."

However, Bates was critical of Federer's decision to pick and choose which ties he plays.

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"It's up to him to decide what he does, but it makes a bit of a mockery of the competition when leading players dip in and out.

"Federer did not play when Switzerland had a chance of reaching the quarter-finals, and will come back when he's needed to keep them up."

Greg Rusedski will lead Britain in Switzerland, with 17-year-old Andy Murray expected to take the second singles spot.

That is likely to leave Murray making his Davis Cup singles debut against the world number one.

Rusedski admitted that his side face a difficult task against Federer, but is confident Britain can triumph.

"Federer's record in Davis Cup is very impressive but the other matches are definitely winnable," said the 31-year-old.