This is in many ways the most atypical World Cup in history. Placed in the middle of the European soccer season, there will be many players in peak form…but many others injured or in doubt until the last minute.
Qatar 2022 will also be a novel event geographically, but while it is usual to see players miss the biggest soccer event on the planet, this year the list of absentees or ‘doubtfuls’ is tremendously long.
In this article we review all the players, team by team, who will miss the World Cup with 100% certainty…or whose presence will be up in the air until the last minute.
This list will be updated until the start of the World Cup and also takes into account the players who are currently injured but are expected to make it to Qatar.
Group A
The group that includes the host team, the group that will play the opening match. The big casualty is ‘Gini’ Wijnaldum, although that has been known for months.
A fractured tibia will keep him out until 2023. The other injured players from Van Gaal’s team do not seem to be in danger, both are in the pre-list.
Meanwhile, for Senegal, the absence of Keita Balde (the Barcelona youth player), who is banned for doping, is particularly striking.
Netherlands: Marten De Roon (Atalanta – Doubt, flexor injury), Brian Brobbey (Ajax – Doubt, contusion), Georginio Wijnaldum (Roma – OUT, tibia fracture).
Qatar: Abdullah Al-Ahrak (Al-Duhail – OUT, cruciate ligament)
Ecuador: Joao Rojas (Monterrey – OUT, cruciate ligament), Robert Arboleda (Sao Paulo – Doubtful, ankle ligaments)
Senegal: Pape Abou Cisse (Olympiacos – Doubt, hip problems), Bouna Sarr (Bayern Munich – OUT, knee problems), Keita Balde (Spartak Moscow – OUT, anti-doping violation).
Group B
England have many uncertainties. The main one is Reece James. The Chelsea player is essential for Southgate and it seems that he will not be 100% for the first game…but he will be ready for the group stage.
Walker should be available, and the same goes for key players in the rest of the teams. McKennie (USA), Azmoun (Iran) and Bale (Wales), the three stars in their countries, should have no problems to play in the World Cup.
England: Chilwell (Chelsea – OUT, hamstring), Reece James (Chelsea – Doubtful, knee injury), Kyle Walker (Manchester City – Doubtful, groin injury), Kalvin Phillips (Manchester City – Doubtful, shoulder injury), Emile Smith Rowe (Arsenal – Doubtful, groin operation).
United States: Weston McKennie (Juventus – Doubtful, muscle injury), Miles Robinson (Atlanta – OUT, Achilles tendon)
Iran: Sardar Azmoun (Bayer Leverkusen – Doubtful, fiber rupture), Allahyar Sayyadmanesh (Hull City – Doubtful, thigh injury)
Wales: Gareth Bale (LAFC – Doubtful, leg injury).
Group C
Argentina are one of the big favorites for Qatar but the weeks leading up to the tournament are proving agonising for the Albiceleste.
They have various layers with injuries who are doubtful for the start of the World Cup and the opening match against Saudi Arabia. Romero, Paredes, Di María, Lo Celso, Dybala?
All players that Scaloni has in mind to use but who are not playing with their teams. Of course, none of them is 100% ruled out.
The most delicate case is Lo Celso and Messi also has some discomfort a week ahead of the Argentina training camp.
In the rest of the group, the absence of Corona (Sevilla) due to a serious injury suffered at the beginning of the season is already assumed. Raul Jimenez should make it but he has been out of action all season.
Argentina: Cristian Romero (Tottenham – Doubt, thigh injury), Leandro Paredes (Juventus – Doubt, flexor injury), Angel Di Maria (Juventus – Doubt, flexor injury… but back this weekend), Gio Lo Celso (Villarreal – Doubt, awaiting medical report from the club), Juan Foyth (Villarreal – Doubt, post-traumatic contusion), Paulo Dybala (Roma – Doubt, muscle tear).
Poland: Robert Gumny (Agusburg – Doubt, adductor injury), Jakub Moder (Brighton – OUT, cruciate ligament)
Mexico: ‘Tecatito’ Corona (Sevilla – OUT, fibula fracture), Raul Jimenez (Wolverhampton – Doubtful, hip problems)
Saudi Arabia: Saleh Al-Shehri (Al Hilal – Doubtful, Achilles tendon… but he is getting into a rhythm and should be available).
Group D
World Cup alarm in France. With Karim Benzema and Tchouameni recovered, it is now other players that worry Deschamps.
Knowing that Pogba and Kante are out through injury, the French coach hopes to recover Maignan (the alternative in goal to Lloris), Lucas Hernandez, or Kounde. Kamara, who suffered a serious injury shortly after signing for Aston Villa, is pushing to make it and is already training with the group.
Barcelona’s Christensen, should be in Qatar and be a starter in the Danish backline.
France: Jules Kounde (Barcelona – Doubtful, muscle problems), Raphael Varane (Manchester United – Doubtful, leg injury), Paul Pogba (Juventus – OUT, right knee meniscus), N’Golo Kante (Chelsea – hamstring), Mike Maignan (Milan – Doubt, left calf), Boubacar Kamara (Aston Villa – Doubt, knee injury), Lucas Digne (Aston Villa – Doubt, ankle injury), Lucas Hernandez (Bayern Munich – Doubt, muscle tear).
Denmark: Andreas Christensen (Barcelona – Doubt, sprained ankle)
Australia: Nathaniel Atkinson (Hearts – Doubt, ankle injury), Cammy Devlin (Hearts – Doubt, ankle injury), Kyle Rowles (Hearts – Doubt, broken foot), Harry Souttar (Stoke City – Doubt, cruciate ligament)
Tunisia: Omar Rekik (Sparta Rotterdam – Doubt, muscle injury), Ellyes Skhiri (Cologne – Doubt, fractured cheekbone)
Group E
Luis Enrique does not have 100% confirmed absentees but Oyarzabal (who is on the pre-list) seems like he could be the first one.
The Real Sociedad player has not yet racked up any competitive rhythm after his serious knee injury.
On the other hand, Germany has one official absentee: Timo Werner. Sane, Reus and Muller should be in the squad. Wirtz, injured in the spring of last season, is gritting his teeth to convince Flick.
A last-minute doubt has arisen with Keylor Navas in Costa Rica. He is expected to be there but the inactivity at PSG is taking its toll on him and he is now suffering from back problems.
Germany: Armell Bella-Kotchap (Bochum – Doubt, shoulder injury), Leroy Sane (Bayern Munich – Doubt, fiber rupture), Thomas Muller (Bayern Munich – Doubt, hip problems), Florian Wirtz (Bayer Leverkusen – Doubt, cruciate ligament), Marco Reus (Borussia Dortmund – Doubt, ankle ligaments), Timo Werner (RB Leipzig – OUT, ankle ligaments).
Spain: Eric Garcia (Barcelona – Doubt, thigh injury) and Mikel Oyarzabal (Real Sociedad – Doubt, cruciate ligament).
Japan: Ko Itakura (Monchengladbach – Doubt, inner knee ligament), Hidemasa Morita (Sporting CP – Doubt, muscle injury), Ao Tanaka (Fortuna Dusseldorf – Doubt, capsule injury), Takefusa Kubo (Real Sociedad – Doubt, shoulder injury), Takuma Asano (Bochum – Doubt, inner knee ligament), Yuta Nakayama (Huddersfield – Doubt, Achilles tendon).
Costa Rica: Keylor Navas (PSG – Doubt, back problems)
Group F
Belgium is gearing up for its golden generation’s final tournament and there are doubts surrounding several of Roberto Martinez’s big names.
The main one, a Lukaku who has hardly played this season with Inter due to physical problems.
In fact, he is being treated on Belgian soil to see if he will make it to the World Cup. Hazard should be with the ‘Red Devils’.
Watch out for Ez Abde, who suffered a fiber rupture a few days ago with Osasuna. He is one of the brightest stars of this Morocco team.
Belgium: Thomas Meunier (Borussia Dortmund – Doubt, fractured cheekbone), Alexis Saelemaekers (Milan – Doubt, inner knee ligament), Romelu Lukaku (Inter – Doubt, flexor injury).
Canada: Doneil Henry (Toronto – Doubt, thigh injury), Scott Kennedy (Jahn Ragensburg – Doubt, shoulder injury)
Croatia: Marcelo Brozovic (Inter – Doubt, thigh injury), Domagoj Vida (AEK – Doubt, overload)
Morocco: Ez Abde (Osasuna – Doubt, ruptured fibers), Youssef En-Nesyri (Sevilla – Doubt, Achilles tendon contusion), Tarik Tissoudali (KAA Gent – OUT, Achilles tendon).
Group G
Brazil are breathing a little easier. It seems that the World Cup is not in danger for Richarlison (he had a terrible scare with Tottenham) nor for Paqueta.
One player who is out is Diego Carlos, who has had a very unlucky start to his time in the Premier League.
Meanwhile, Arthur, who is out through injury until January, would unlikely have been on the plane even if he was healthy.
As for the rest of the squads, watch out for Sommer…the legendary Swiss goalkeeper raised the alarm bell for his team with an ankle problem.
Brazil: Gleison Bremer (Juventus – Doubt, flexor injury), Richarlison (Tottenham – Doubt, calf injury), Diego Carlos (Aston Villa – OUT, Achilles tendon), Lucas Paqueta (West Ham – Doubt, shoulder injury), Arthur Melo (Liverpool – OUT, muscle problem).
Serbia: Erhan Masovic (Bochum – Doubt, adductor injury), Ivan Ilic (Hellas Verona – Doubt, muscle problems), Darko Lazovic (Hellas Verona – Doubt, muscle problems),Andrija Zivkovic (PAOK – Doubt, finger injury), Dusan Vlahovic (Juventus – Doubt, adductor injury…should be back this weekend).
Cameroon: no known injuries.
Switzerland: Yan Sommer (Monchengladbach – Doubt, ankle injury), Nico Elvedi (Monchengladbach – Doubt, illness).
Group H
All the alarm bells went off with Heung Min-Son a few days ago. The Tottenham and South Korea star is racing against time to be in Qatar after suffering an unusual injury to his left eye. He will be a doubt until the last minute.
Meanwhile, the absence of Diogo Jota for Portugal is well confirmed. The Liverpool player was fighting for a starting jersey with Leao, but Fernando Santos has already been forced into a rethink.
Ronald Araujo will also fight until the end to play in the World Cup. The Uruguayan is doing everything in his power to recover and make the trip.
Portugal: Diogo Jota (Liverpool – OUT, calf injury), Pedro Neto (Wolverhampton – OUT, ankle injury), Ricardo Pereira (Leicester City – OUT, Achilles tendon).
Uruguay: Cavani (Valencia – Doubt, right ankle inflammation, (Ronald Araujo (Barcelona – Doubt, adductor injury), Mauro Arambarri (Getafe – OUT, ankle injury).
Ghana: no known injuries.
South Korea: Heung-Min Son (Tottenham – Doubtful, eye injury).
Source: Marca
