With the FIFA World Cup starting on November 20, several major teams are battling with injuries to some of their key players.
Here are some key players who will be ruled out of the World Cup due to injuries.
Paul Pogba (France) – is pogba Most high profile name on this list. The French midfielder’s involvement in France’s World Cup defense looked questionable after knee surgery, which has barred him from playing since moving back to Juventus in August. He recently returned to training but picked up another injury, which confirms his absence in Qatar.
Ben Chilwell (England) – Left-back Ben Chilwell pulled through during extra time in Chelsea’s Champions League win over Dinamo Zagreb with a hamstring injury that ruled them out of the World Cup.
Timo Werner (Germany) – Germany forward Timo Werner will miss the World Cup after he broke an ankle ligament in RB Leipzig’s Champions League match against Schachter 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 problem’ during the Reds’ 1-0 win against Manchester City. Klopp also confirmed that Jota did not need an operation.
Reece James (England) – England right-back, Reece James injured his knee during the Champions League clash against AC Milan. Newly-appointed Chelsea manager Graham Potter has revealed that the 22-year-old will be kneeling for a month. After discussions with Gareth Southgate on Tuesday, it was decided that the Chelsea full-back would not be part of the England squad.
N’Golo Kante (France) – French midfielder N’Golo Kante has been ruled out of the Qatar World Cup with a hamstring injury. The 31-year-old Chelsea player last played against Tottenham Hotspur in the Premier League in August.
Pedro Neto (Portugal) – The 22-year-old Wolverhampton Wanderers winger will undergo surgery on an ankle injury in October against West Ham United.
Boubacar Camara (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 suffered a hamstring injury during his Champions League clash with Rangers in October.
Yuta Nakayama (Japan) – Nakayama will be ruled out of the World Cup after being injured in an English championship game a day after being named in the national team. He damaged an Achilles tendon while playing for Huddersfield against Sunderland on Wednesday. Huddersfield said on Thursday that the 25-year-old needed surgery that would rule him out for the rest of the season.
Giovanni Lo Celso (Argentina): The Argentine midfielder missed the World Cup as he had to undergo surgery following a hamstring injury, as confirmed by Villarreal.
Marco Reis (Germany) – Marco Reus’s grueling tryout continues with injuries as he misses out on yet another big tournament. This time, it was an ankle ligament injury that forced the German star to pull out.
Presnel Kimpembe (France) – French defender Presnel Kimpembe ruled himself out of the World Cup after failing to recover from injury in time. The centre-back, who plays for PSG in Ligue 1, picked up a hamstring injury in a 1–0 win against Brest on 10 September.
