In some ways, this is probably the most unusual World Cup in history. During the European soccer season, there may be many players in peak condition...
However, many others were injured or unsure until the very last second. Qatar 2022 may be a novel occasion geographically, but whereas absentees or ‘doubtfuls’ are common at the world’s largest soccer occasion, the list of absentees or ‘doubtfuls’ this year is extremely lengthy. In this article, we examine all of the players, squad by squad, who will definitely miss the World Cup...or whose presence may be up in the air until the very last second.
Group A
Netherlands: Marten De Roon (Atalanta – Doubt, flexor damage), 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 – Uncertain, ankle ligaments)
Senegal: Pape Abou Cisse (Olympiacos – Doubt, hip issues), Bouna Sarr (Bayern Munich – OUT, knee issues), Keita Balde (Spartak Moscow – OUT, anti-doping violation).
Group B
England: Ben Chilwell (Chelsea – OUT, hamstring), Reece James (Chelsea – Uncertain, knee damage), Kyle Walker (Manchester Metropolis – Uncertain, groin damage), Kalvin Phillips (Manchester Metropolis – Uncertain, shoulder damage), Emile Smith Rowe (Arsenal – Uncertain, groin operation).
United States: Weston McKennie (Juventus – Uncertain, muscle damage), Miles Robinson (Atlanta – OUT, Achilles tendon)
Iran: Sardar Azmoun (Bayer Leverkusen – Uncertain, fiber rupture), Allahyar Sayyadmanesh (Hull Metropolis – Uncertain, thigh damage)
Wales: Gareth Bale (LAFC – Uncertain, leg damage).
Group C
Argentina: Cristian Romero (Tottenham – Doubt, thigh damage), Leandro Paredes (Juventus – Doubt, flexor damage), Angel Di Maria (Juventus – Doubt, flexor damage… however again this weekend), Gio Lo Celso (Villarreal – Doubt, awaiting medical report from the membership), Juan Foyth (Villarreal – Doubt, post-traumatic contusion), Paulo Dybala (Roma – Doubt, muscle tear).
Poland: Robert Gumny (Agusburg – Doubt, adductor damage), Jakub Moder (Brighton – OUT, cruciate ligament)
Mexico: ‘Tecatito’ Corona (Sevilla – OUT, fibula fracture), Raul Jimenez (Wolverhampton – Uncertain, hip issues)
Saudi Arabia: Saleh Al-Shehri (Al Hilal – Uncertain, Achilles tendon… however he’s getting right into a rhythm and needs to be accessible).
Group D
France: Jules Kounde (Barcelona – Uncertain, muscle issues), Raphael Varane (Manchester United – Uncertain, leg damage), Paul Pogba (Juventus – OUT, proper knee meniscus), N’Golo Kante (Chelsea – hamstring), Mike Maignan (Milan – Doubt, left calf), Boubacar Kamara (Aston Villa – Doubt, knee damage), Lucas Digne (Aston Villa – Doubt, ankle damage), Lucas Hernandez (Bayern Munich – Doubt, muscle tear).
Denmark: Andreas Christensen (Barcelona – Doubt, sprained ankle)
Australia: Nathaniel Atkinson (Hearts – Doubt, ankle damage), Cammy Devlin (Hearts – Doubt, ankle damage), Kyle Rowles (Hearts – Doubt, damaged foot), Harry Souttar (Stoke Metropolis – Doubt, cruciate ligament)
Tunisia: Omar Rekik (Sparta Rotterdam – Doubt, muscle damage), Ellyes Skhiri (Cologne – Doubt, fractured cheekbone).
Group E
Germany: Armell Bella-Kotchap (Bochum – Doubt, shoulder damage), Leroy Sane (Bayern Munich – Doubt, fiber rupture), Thomas Muller (Bayern Munich – Doubt, hip issues), 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 damage) and Mikel Oyarzabal (Actual Sociedad – Doubt, cruciate ligament).
Japan: Ko Itakura (Monchengladbach – Doubt, interior knee ligament), Hidemasa Morita (Sporting CP – Doubt, muscle damage), Ao Tanaka (Fortuna Dusseldorf – Doubt, capsule damage), Takefusa Kubo (Actual Sociedad – Doubt, shoulder damage), Takuma Asano (Bochum – Doubt, interior knee ligament), Yuta Nakayama (Huddersfield – Doubt, Achilles tendon).
Costa Rica: Keylor Navas (PSG – Doubt, again issues)
Group F
Belgium: Thomas Meunier (Borussia Dortmund – Doubt, fractured cheekbone), Alexis Saelemaekers (Milan – Doubt, interior knee ligament), Romelu Lukaku (Inter – Doubt, flexor damage).
Canada: Doneil Henry (Toronto – Doubt, thigh damage), Scott Kennedy (Jahn Ragensburg – Doubt, shoulder damage)
Croatia: Marcelo Brozovic (Inter – Doubt, thigh damage), 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: Gleison Bremer (Juventus – Doubt, flexor damage), Richarlison (Tottenham – Doubt, calf damage), Diego Carlos (Aston Villa – OUT, Achilles tendon), Lucas Paqueta (West Ham – Doubt, shoulder damage), Arthur Melo (Liverpool – OUT, muscle drawback).
Serbia: Erhan Masovic (Bochum – Doubt, adductor damage), Ivan Ilic (Hellas Verona – Doubt, muscle issues), Darko Lazovic (Hellas Verona – Doubt, muscle issues),Andrija Zivkovic (PAOK – Doubt, finger damage), Dusan Vlahovic (Juventus – Doubt, adductor damage…needs to be again this weekend).
Cameroon: no identified accidents.
Switzerland: Yan Sommer (Monchengladbach – Doubt, ankle damage), Nico Elvedi (Monchengladbach – Doubt, sickness).
Group H
Portugal: Diogo Jota (Liverpool – OUT, calf damage), Pedro Neto (Wolverhampton – OUT, ankle damage), Ricardo Pereira (Leicester Metropolis – OUT, Achilles tendon).
Uruguay: Cavani (Valencia – Doubt, proper ankle irritation, (Ronald Araujo (Barcelona – Doubt, adductor damage), Mauro Arambarri (Getafe – OUT, ankle damage).
Ghana: no identified accidents.
South Korea: Heung-Min Son (Tottenham – Uncertain, eye damage).
