With FIFA World Cup set to start next month, many major teams are dealing with injuries to some of their key players. Here are some of the major injury updates ahead of the Qatar event.
Diogo Jota – 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.
N’Golo Kante – 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.
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Reece James – Another Chelsea player set to miss the World Cup is England’s right-back, Reece James. The 22-year-old injured his knee during a Champions League clash against AC Milan.
Newly-appointed Chelsea manager Graham Potter revealed that James will be in a knee brace for a month, which puts his participation in Qatar almost out of question.
Paulo Dybala – Argentinian attacker Paulo Dybala of Roma was taken off during a Serie A clash against Lecce, with what appeared to be a muscle injury.
Roma manager Jose Mourinho said that the injury was a bad one and that he imagined it would be difficult for Dybala to return before 2023. Reports soon emerged that the 28-year-old had torn his quadriceps muscle, putting him in a race to be fit for Qatar.
Ronald Araujo – Uruguay’s defender Ronald Araújo damaged a tendon in his right thigh, during his side’s 1-0 loss to Iran in September.The Barcelona player underwent surgery in Finland and has begun his recovery process. But, it seems unlikely he will line up for his country in this World Cup.
FIFA is negotiating a special fund in Qatar for migrant employees.
Raul Jimenez – Mexico’s Raul Jimenez has not played for club or country since August 31 following a groin injury.
National team coach, Gerardo Martino, said during the last international break that he is planning to wait until the last moment for the Wolves forward, who had recently bounced back from a head injury.
Alexander Isak – Sweden’s 23-year-old striker Alexander Isak is the latest player whose participation in Qatar has been put under doubt.
The Newcastle forward was revealed to have aggravated a thigh problem which he had picked up during training with his national team in the September international break. Newcastle manager, Eddie Howe, confirmed that Isak will not play for Newcastle this year again due to the setback.
Other Notable Injuries
Kalvin Phillips – England (dislocated shoulder)
Boubacar Kamara – France (ligament tear)
Arthur Melo – Brazil (thigh)
Pedro Neto – Portugal (ankle)
Marco Reus – Germany (ankle ligament)
Georginio Wijnaldum – Netherlands (fractured tibia)
Doubtful
Paul Pogba – The French midfielder’s participation in France’s World Cup defence seems to be doubtful following a knee surgery which has prevented him from playing since his switch back to Juventus.
Kyle Walker – England right-back Kyle Walker suffered from a groin injury during Manchester City’s 6-3 drubbing of Manchester United. The 32-year-old, though, said recently that he is confident of regaining his fitness to be on the plane to Qatar for England.
Angel Di Maria – Argentinian winger Angel Di Maria is another major player to be dragged down by a thigh injury. The Juventus player sustained the setback during a Champions League defeat against Maccabi Haifa but is expected to be back in early November and might just make it to the World Cup.
