With FIFA World Cup set to start on November 20, many major teams are dealing with injuries to some of their key players.
Here are some of the major players who will miss the World Cup through injuries.
Karim Benzema (France): France forward and Ballon D’Or winner Karim Benzema was ruled out of the FIFA World Cup 2022 with a thigh injury. The 34-year-old was hit in the quadriceps of the left thigh and was forced out of the tournament, a day before it is supposed to kick-off in Qatar.
Sadio Mane (Senegal): Senegal forward Sadio Mane will be one of the biggest names who will miss the World Cup in Qatar due to a leg injury he suffered while playing for Bayern Munich. Initially, reports said that he would miss the first couple of games but Senegal confirmed on November 18 that the two-time African Player of the Year will not play a part in the World Cup.
Paul Pogba (France) - Pogba is the most high-profile name on this list. The French midfielder’s participation in France’s World Cup defence seemed to be doubtful following a knee surgery that prevented him from playing since his switch back to Juventus in August. He returned to training recently but he picked up another injury, which confirms his absence in Qatar.
Ben Chilwell (England) - Left-back Ben Chilwell pulled up with a hamstring injury during added time in Chelsea’s Champions League win over Dinamo Zagreb, which rules him out of the World Cup.
Timo Werner (Germany) - Germany forward Timo Werner will not be able to play at the World Cup after he tore an ankle ligament in RB Leipzig’s Champions League match against Shakhtar Donetsk.
Diogo Jota (Portugal) - Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp confirmed on Tuesday that Portuguese forward Diogo Jota will miss the Qatar World Cup with a ‘serious calf muscle issue’ sustained during the Red’s 1-0 win against Manchester City. Klopp also confirmed that Jota doesn’t need an operation.
Reece James (England) - England’s right-back, Reece James injured his knee during a Champions League clash against AC Milan. Newly-appointed Chelsea manager Graham Potter had revealed that the 22-year-old will be in a knee brace for a month. After discussions with Gareth Southgate on Tuesday, it was decided the Chelsea full-back will not be a part of England’s squad.
N’Golo Kante (France) - France’s midfield enforcer N’Golo Kante has been ruled out of the Qatar World Cup after his hamstring injury relapsed. The 31-year-old Chelsea player last played in August against Tottenham Hotspur in the Premier League.
Pedro Neto (Portugal) - The 22-year-old Wolverhampton Wanderers winger will undergo surgery on an ankle injury sustained against West Ham United in October.
Boubacar Kamara (France) - The Aston Villa midfielder suffered a knee ligament injury in September that will keep him out until after the World Cup.
Arthur Melo (Brazil) - Liverpool’s on-loan midfielder picked up a muscle injury in the build-up to a Champions League clash with Rangers in October.
Yuta Nakayama (Japan) - Nakayama will miss the World Cup after being injured in an English Championship game one day after being named in the national squad. He damaged an Achilles tendon playing for Huddersfield against Sunderland on Wednesday. Huddersfield said on Thursday the 25-year-old player needs surgery that will rule him out for the rest of the season.
Giovani Lo Celso (Argentina): The Argentine midfielder misses out on the World Cup, as he had to undergo surgery, following a hamstring injury, as confirmed by Villarreal.
Marco Reus (Germany) - Marco Reus’s horrible tryst with injuries continues as he misses out on yet another major tournament. This time, it was an ankle ligament injury which forced the German star to pull out.
Presnel Kimpembe (France) - French defender Presnel Kimpembe ruled himself out of the World Cup as he failed to recover from an injury on time. The centre-back, who plays for PSG in Ligue 1, picked up a hamstring injury on 10th September in his side’s 1-0 win against Brest.
Christopher Nkunku (France): France forward Christopher Nkunku suffered an injury in training after he was tackled by teammate Eduardo Camavinga. The following resulted in a knee sprain. France confirmed that Nkunku would miss the World Cup post the incident and said that Eintracht Frankfurt’s Randal Kolo Muani has been named as his replacement.
Joaquin Correa (Argentina): Joaquin Correa is one of Argentina’s two late injuries that forced Lionel Scaloni to make late changes to his squad. He has been replaced by Thiago Almada.
Nicolas Gonzalez (Argentina): Nicolas Gonzalez, who plays for Fiorentina, injured a muscle during a training session which saw him get ruled out of the World Cup. He was replaced by Atletico Madrid forward Angel Correa.
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