A World Cup is a stage that every player wishes to be a part of in their career. Representing one’s country at the pinnacle of international football means more than anything else. However, misfortune or injuries sometimes causes an impossible hurdle to overcome when the showpiece is just around the corner. This has been the case with star players for their countries sustaining injuries that rules them out of the tournament altogether. Certain times it is more heartbreaking for a player on an individual level than failing to help the nation qualify.
Unlike the traditional way of hosting the event in summer, the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar is scheduled in winter to avoid the extreme heat in the country during the months of June and July. The November-December placement brings a disadvantage in putting such a high-voltage tournament in the middle of a league season. It piles up the matches in club football running the risk of players getting injured frequently with fewer days of rest between games. As a case, there have been injuries to certain key players for their nations who are going to miss the tournament this year either entirely or most likely not to be fit before the team selection happens for their nation.
N’Golo Kante (France)
The Chelsea player was a lynchpin in midfield for France’s 2018 World Cup success taking care of retrieving possession for his side and screening the back four almost single-handedly keeping Les Bleus on the front foot throughout the tournament. Four years later, N’Golo Kante won’t be part of his nation’s title defense in Qatar suffering a setback to his hamstring injury picked up earlier in the season which will keep him out until February of next year. This comes as a major blow for Didier Deschamps’s men who are already struggling with injuries even though they have a likeable replacement in 22-year-old Real Madrid midfielder Aurelien Tchouameni.
Ronald Araujo (Uruguay)
Barcelona missed the service of Ronald Araujo greatly this season with a lack of quality center-backs that caused them to miss out on the knockout stages of the Champions League for the second consecutive year. To make things far worse, Araujo will not be a part of the Uruguayan squad traveling to Qatar for the showpiece. The 23-year-old suffered a hip injury in the last international break in September and decided to go for surgery amid some fury from the supporters. Araujo stressed that it was the best decision he could have taken at the moment to prevent further aggravating the injury. He is out until the middle of November not early enough for the start of the World Cup on the 20th of the month.
Diogo Jota (Portugal)
Diogo Jota was the top scorer for Portugal in terms of non-penalty goals in World Cup qualification netting in the playoffs as well guiding the Selecao to the group stages of the tournament. Yet, he won’t be featuring for the finals in weeks with a calf injury he sustained earlier in the month for Liverpool towards the end of the 1-0 victory against Manchester City at Anfield. Jota carried an ankle injury in the pre-season which kept him out for the starting games only returning in October. Now, this new injury will keep him out for the rest of the year completely removing his chance to be at Qatar.
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Reece James (England)
Reece James missed a chunk of last season due to several injuries involving muscle to the hamstring. Expectations were that he will have some luck this season to be able to maintain his fitness with the World Cup around to make it to Gareth Southgate’s squad for England. But it did not occur as the right-back went down with a knee injury earlier this month in a Champions League game against AC Milan killing any possibility of being in the tournament. Despite everything pointing at him missing out on the World Cup, James is keeping himself optimistic to be fit in time for selection.
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Raphael Varane (France)
If missing the World Cup winner N’Golo Kante was a blow, France carries a scenario to lose another in center-half Raphael Varane who will not be playing for Manchester United until the World Cup after suffering a hamstring injury in the game against Chelsea two weeks ago. Initially, the injury was feared to be more serious as the former Real Madrid player left the pitch in tears but he has since started his rehabilitation giving positive updates on his recovery. Even with the incredible depth in te squad France have, his leadership and tournament-winning experience will be required for the title defense in Qatar.
Kalvin Phillips (England)
One of Gareth Southgate’s most trusted players, Kalvin Philipps was a vital cog in midfield for England’s run to the finals of the Euros last year. Since then, the now Manchester City player suffered repeated injuries that kept him out from action for a long time. Making the switch to the club in the summer Philipps then dislocated his shoulder in an early season friendly forcing surgery. He is able to gather only 13 minutes for City this season. The 26-year-old’s recovery process has been good but nothing definitive cannot be said about his availability for World Cup selection till now.
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Kyle Walker (England)
England seems to be running out of right-back options for the World Cup which is astonishing looking at the depth they have in the position. Chelsea’s Reece James is likely to miss the tournament with his knee injury and Trent Alexander-Arnold is an unfavorable option for manager Southgate to choose because his defensive ability lacking in games, the groin injury to Kyle Walker gives more headache in the Three Lions camp. While Kieran Tripper remains a suitable player to have in that flank, Walker’s versatility to slot in a back three as a center-back will be missed if he fails to recover in time for the mega event in Qatar. He has completed a successful operation and is in a rehabilitation period.
Jesus Corona (Mexico)
Like other editions, Mexico will be bringing some exciting players to watch like star winger Hirving Lozano or Ajax’s midfield genius Edson Alvarez. Skillful winger Jesus Corona could have been part of the team too but a long-term ligament injury has dented all hopes. After impressing with FC Porto for several seasons, he secured a well-earned move to Sevilla in the January transfer window this year making six goals contribution last season for the La Liga side. However, he managed only 63 minutes in the opening game of the campaign before sustaining the injury that will keep him out till December.
