Andrew
Gareth Southgate and his international manager colleagues are facing a mounting injury list as they prepare to name their World Cup squads.
What is supposed to be football’s biggest showpiece will be missing some of the biggest stars on the planet.
Paul Pogba, N’Golo Kante, Paulo Dybala and Gini Wijnaldum are among those definitely out of Qatar. But the likes of Raphael Varane, Manuel Neuer and Son Heung-min are also facing potential World Cup heartbreak as they face a race to get fit in time.
Tottenham are facing a striker crisis with Son struggling and Lucas Moura playing through the pain barrier, while Brazil star Richarlison has been missing for the past few weeks.
Managers have to have named their 26-man squads to FIFA on November 14.
Here is a full list of injury worries for nations all around the world ahead of the showpiece tournament in Qatar.
England
Three Lions boss Southgate will name his 26-man squad on Thursday and Chelsea ’s Ben Chilwell is the latest England player to suffer a major injury.
Chilwell left Stamford Bridge on crutches after suffering what looked like a serious hamstring injury, with Reece James, Kyle Walker and Kalvin Phillips battling to be fit in time.
That leaves England facing a fullback crisis, with James first choice on the right and now Luke Shaw the only fully fit option on the left.
Most England players still have three games before they jet off to Qatar with two Premier League fixtures and this week’s Carabao Cup ties.
Brazil
The bookies’ favourite and five-time winners are looking in good shape with their squad looking close to full fitness.
Only Tottenham winger Richarlison is major doubt.
Richarlison injured his calf against Everton and left the ground in tears and on crutches.
The following day, he tweeted: “Guys, thank God it was just a big scare!! Two weeks and I will be back! Thank you for the messages and affection.”
Belgium
Roberto Martinez is hoping to go further than the third place his side managed four years ago. His biggest worry going into Qatar is the fitness of all-time record goalscorer Romelu Lukaku.
The talismanic Inter Milan striker has sat out much of this season with a hamstring injury, but returned to action last recently with a goalscoring comeback against Viktoria Plzen in the Champions League and a league appearance against Sampdoria. However, he suffered a relapse and is now likely to miss the next three weeks.
That obviously makes him risk with Belgium’s first game coming in just under three weeks.
Winger Alexis Saelemaekers has a knee injury and will not be back until January, while Thomas Meunier broke his cheekbone on October 20 and Borussia Dortmund have ruled him out of the World Cup.
France
Things are never ever simple for Les Bleus heading into major tournaments, and this World Cup is no different.
N’Golo Kante’s hamstring and Paul Pogba’s knee have seen the duo definitely ruled out of any action on the Arabian peninsula.
That is the easiest part as Wesley Fofana, Lucas Hernandez, Boubacar Kamara, Raphael Varane and Anthony Martial are in various states of unwellness.
Defender Fofana damaged his knee in a Champions League match at the start of October, and is unlikely to play for Chelsea before the season breaks, but has headed to Dubai in a last-ditch rehabilitation effort.
Hernandez is back in training at Bayern Munich and is hopeful of playing a game or two before the squad announcement after a groin injury. Manchester United duo Varane and Martial are in a race against time to recover from leg and back injuries.
The former left the pitch in tears against Chelsea last month and will not play for the Red Devils before the tournament, while Martial is very close to a comeback.
Whether he can force his way into Didier Deschamps’ plans is another question.
Argentina
Argentina have two high-profile names potentially missing out.
Roma forward Paulo Dybala will definitely be absent after picking up a thigh injury while taking a penalty last month.
Angel Di Maria is more hopeful of making the flight, and could return to club action soon in preparation after three weeks out with a hamstring problem.
Leandro Parades and Cristian Romero have missed games recently with thigh and hamstring injuries.
Spain
The 2010 winners have a number of players pushing to be in the squad. Full-back Sergio Reguilon is very close to a return after groin troubles after returning to training following six months on the sideline a fortnight ago.
Gerard Moreno missed most of last season with a calf and hamstring injuries, and has suffered from a muscle problem this term.
He should be back in action soon but his lack of game time makes him a very unlikely selection. Mikel Oyarzabal is back in training after his seven months out.
Dani Olmo is stepping up his return from damaging his ankle in September with a pair of substitute appearances.
Portugal
Cristiano Ronaldo’s more regular game-time will put a smile on Fernando Santos’ face, especially with Diego Jota set to miss the World Cup after injuring his thigh against Manchester City last month.
Like Jota, Wolves striker Pedro Neto was taken off the pitch on a stretcher when he damaged his ankle against West Ham at the beginning of October.
He will also miss the World Cup.
Defenders Pepe, now at Porto, and Nuno Mendes are the other main worries for the Portuguese.
Highly experienced Pepe has a sprain knee and Mendes an Achilles problem.
Mexico
The Mexicans have a major issues in attack.
Wolves striker Raul Jimenez has not played a minute since August 31 and spent much of that time recuperating his injured groin in South America. He is now back in England and is back training.
Winger Tecatito is definitely out of the World Cup with a fractured fibula, with Jesus Corona also not going to be ready, despite being ahead of time in his recovery programme, after breaking his leg earlier this season.
Netherlands
Former Liverpool and PSG midfielder Gini Wijnaldum will definitely be absent from Qatar with a fractured tibia.
He damaged the bone during Roma training where he is currently on loan back in August.
Memphis Depay is a heavy doubt as well, having not played for Barcelona since September. There have been reports in Spain that the attacker has purposefully dodged action to make sure he does not risk further damage to his hamstring before the World Cup.
Centre-back Matthijs de Ligt is a minor worry with a knee injury, while Marten de Roon’s hamstring should fix up in time for the big kick-off against Senegal.
Germany
Hansi Flick is sweating over the fitness of several big-name stars ahead of the tournament, having already lost striker Timo Werner to injury.
The former Chelsea man has been ruled out of the World Cup after suffering an ankle injury during RB Leipzig’s win over Shakhtar Donetsk.
Flick could be facing an even bigger blow to Germany’s World Cup hopes, though, if goalkeeper Manuel Neuer does not recover from a shoulder problem.
Neuer, 36, captains his country but has not played any football since early October, though he is expected to recover in time.
Germany do have a number of options to cover the Bayern Munich star, however, with Barcelona’s Marc-Andre ter Stegen among them.
Bayern’s Leroy Sane and Borussia Dortmund’s Marco Reus are also doubts for the squad, having both only recently returned from respective injuries, while Florian Neuhaus and Mahmoud Dahoud are also nursing problems.
Rest of the world
Of the remaining competing nations, US hopeful Weston McKennie’s hamstring injury will not scupper his preparations with the midfielder looking likely to miss Juventus’ upcoming games ahead of the tournament.
England’s group stage opponents should have striker Daryl Dike available, though, with the West Brom forward on the verge of full fitness.
Elsewhere, Ronald Araujo is not expected to feature for Uruguay but Croatia’s Marcelo Brozovic is nearing a return for his club side Inter Milan. — Mirror
Tinaye Agere
Online Reporter