The 2022 World Cup will begin on 20 November in Qatar but several big-name stars are set to miss the tournament due to injuries.
Here is the confirmed list of players who have been ruled out of the competition.
Diogo Jota (Portugal)
Diogo Jota will miss Portugal’s 2022 FIFA World Cup campaign after sustaining a calf muscle injury.
The Liverpool forward was stretchered off in stoppage time of the 1-0 win over Manchester City at Anfield on Sunday.
Jota will not have surgery to treat the muscle injury.
Reece James (England)
Reece James will be out for two months with a knee injury, ruling him out of the World Cup.
The 22-year-old Chelsea man was set to be England’s preferred option in the right back position at the tournament.
N’golo Kante (France)
N’Golo Kante is out of the World Cup after suffering a reaction to an existing hamstring injury.
The 31-year-old France international has not played since mid-August due to the hamstring issue.
The Chelsea midfielder was vital to France’s success in Russia four years ago and would be a big miss for Didier Deschamps’s side.
Georginio Wijnaldum (Netherlands)
Georginio Wijnaldum sustained a serious fractured tibia in his right leg just days after his debut with the Serie A side in August. There hasn’t been any confirmation that the midfielder will miss the tournament but several European publications claim tje Dutch midfielder is expected to return to the pitch sometime in 2023.
Pedro Neto (Portugal)
Another Portugal star set to miss the World Cup is Wolves winger Pedro Neto. The 22-year-old sustained an ankle injury this month and will undergo surgery to treat it.
Ricardo Pereira
The Leicester City fullback will miss Portugal’s World Cup campaign due a Tendon Achilles rupture.
Ronald Araujo (Uruguay)
Ronald Araujo will miss the World Cup after undergoing surgery on a thigh problem last month. The Barcelona man is expected to be on the sidelines for three months.
He will not be able to reach full fitness in time to be included in Uruguay’s World Cup roster.
Alexander Isak (Sweden)
Alexander Isak will be out until after the World Cup because of a thigh injury. Newcastle United coach Eddie Howe confirmed the player will spend two months on the sidelines and return to action after the tournament.
Boubacar Kamara (France)
Boubacar Kamara was tipped to make the French squad but 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 loanee Arthur Melo picked up a muscle injury in the build-up to a Champions League clash with Rangers in October and is expected to return to action next year.
Alexis Saelemaekers (Belgium)
The AC Milan winger suffered a serious knee injury that will keep him out of action for the remainder of the year.
Players doubtful or racing against time to recover in time before the World Cup:
Kalvin Phillips – England (dislocated shoulder)
Paul Pogba – France (knee)
Kyle Walker – England (groin injury)
Angel Di Maria – Argentina (thigh injury)
Paulo Dybala – Argentina (quadriceps injury)
Nuno Mendes – Portugal (thigh injury)
Matthijs de Ligt – Netherlands (groin injury)
Florian Wirtz – Germany (ACL)
Lucas Digne – France (ankle injury)
Lucas Hernandez – France (muscle tear)
Presnel Kimpembe – France (hamstring injury)
Andreas Christensen – Denmark (ankle injury)
Marcelo Brozovic – Croatia (hamstring injury)- Soccer24 Zimbabwe