The FIFA World Cup is just around the corner and the first match is going to be played on the 20th of November when the hosts Qatar take on Ecuador.
This is going to be a one-of-a-kind World Cup because it’s going to be played during the middle of the footballing season which means all of the major leagues in the world will come to a halt in order to accommodate this extravaganza.
However, this mid-season World Cup has brought in a lot of problems for the national teams. The biggest among these troubles are the injuries that players are picking up right before the commencement of the tournaments.
Several high-profile players will miss the flight to Qatar so we decided to compile a list of some of the biggest names who will be watching from home
Paul Pogba – France
The Frenchman might have had a poor run of form in his club career but he’s been absolutely pivotal for his national team. He’s been a fulcrum in midfield alongside N’Golo Kante and the pair was one of the major reasons why France won the World Cup in 2018.
However, Pogba tore his meniscus in July during pre-season for Juventus following which he has been recovering from surgery. This long-term injury means the midfielder has not been named in the World Cup.
N’Golo Kante – France
The Frenchman is a one-man machine when it comes to playing in central defence but in recent times he’s become massively injury prone.
Like his midfielder partner, Kante is also an absentee for Qatar because his hamstring injury relapsed a couple of months ago and his last appearance for Chelsea was back in August.
Reece James – England
James picked up a knee injury against AC Milan on 11 October and initially Chelsea had claimed that he will be out for eight weeks. However, the full-back was quickly back on his feet and had even started jogging.
However, as per reports, Gareth Southgate thought it will be a risk taking him to the World Cup which is why the Chelsea defender has been left out of the squad.
“The minute I injured my knee, I knew the turnaround to make the World Cup would be tight,” a hugely disappointed James said, as per the BBC. “But I always felt it was possible.
“I’ve worked harder than I ever thought I could to give myself the best chance of going and truly believed I could help the team.”
Diogo Jota – Portugal
Jota is another big-name player who will miss out on the World Cup because he is currently recovering from a muscle problem.
The forward picked up the injury during Liverpool’s win over Man City but sadly he won’t recover in time to be in Qatar. Portugal have an insane squad depth in their attacking areas so this is going to be a personal loss for Diogo Jota.
Marco Reus – Germany
Reus has been really unlucky with injuries and once again fate has turned against him. The Dortmund man picked up an ankle ligament injury which is going to keep him on the sidelines for a couple of months.
The 33-year-old has been really unlucky with injuries as he’s already missed the 2014 World Cup, the 2016 and the 2020 Euros and now he’s going to miss the Qatar World Cup as well.
Sadio Mane – Senegal
Sadio Mane picked up an injury just last week while playing for Bayern Munich and instantly everyone thought he is going to miss the WC.
However, Senegal have decided to include him in their final squad but we are not yet sure if he will be fit to play or not. He’s definitely going to miss the group games but if somehow Senegal do qualify for the knockout stages then there’s an outside chance that the former Liverpool man could get some game time.
Alexander Isak – Sweden
Isak made a very bright start to his career at Newcastle United but he picked up a thigh injury last month and will only be back to full fitness after the World Cup has concluded.
The Swede scored two goals in three league games for the Magpies before picking up the injury and as per Eddie Howe, the 23-year-old is expected to return during the Boxing Day week.
