Top 10 Players Who Are Set To Miss The World Cup Due to Injury

1.) Karim Benzema

Karim Benzema has been a player in the form in the 2022 campaign. He helped his team to win the LaLiga title and the prestigious UEFA Champions League after beating Liverpool 1-0 in the final. He subsequently won the FIFA Ballon d’Or for his outstanding performance.

Sadly, Karim won’t take his in-form skills to the FIFA 2022 World Cup. A thigh injury forced him to withdraw from the 2022 World Cup, giving the defending champions a big setback just before the competition. His three-week recovery period puts a stop to any prospects of playing in Qatar.

He went into the competition with hamstring and knee problems and had been training separately from the rest of the French squad. He had his first full training session on November 19, 2022, on a Saturday, and was forced to leave early due to some pain in his left thigh.

2.) Sadio Mane

We all know Sadio Mane for his strength and skills on the pitch and also a very successful career he has had at Liverpool. He joined German giants, Bayern Munich and he has continued his goal scoring form.

It’s unfortunate that Mane won’t participate in the 2022 World Cup. He sustained the injury on November 8 during Bayern’s 6-1 victory over Werder Bremen. Mane was nonetheless selected for the Senegal World Cup team despite the injury, and it was expected that he would miss at least their opening match against the Netherlands on November 20.

The two-time African player of the year will need surgery for the injury, the team said in a news conference on Thursday, and he would not be able to compete in Qatar. Later on Thursday, Bayern announced that Mane had a successful operation and would soon be returning to Munich.

3.) Reece James

James hasn’t played football in a competitive match since suffering a knee injury against AC Milan. He was sure that he would make the trip to Qatar and wanted to be fit enough for the World Cup. Sadly, the injury prolonged and he will not participate in the tournament.

After his World Cup dreams were ruined, both fans and commentators were clearly devastated for him. However, his recovery could be crucial for Chelsea’s second half of the season and, perhaps more importantly, for Graham Potter’s job.

After losing three straight Premier League games, Potter will face intense pressure to elevate his team’s performances once the World Cup is over. He has undoubtedly missed some of his most important players during that stretch due to injury.

4.) Ben Chilwell

Ben Chilwell picked up an injury during Chelsea’s 2-1 Champions League victory over Dinamo Zagreb. He was forced to stop due to a hamstring injury while chasing the ball in the stoppage time of that match.

The England defender managed to complete the final few seconds of the game, but he needed assistance getting to the tunnel after the final whistle and had to leave the stadium on crutches.

5.) Ngolo Kante

N’Golo Kante’s injury woes has continued at Chelsea in the 2022-23 season. The Frenchman’s hamstring injury is likely to keep him out until February 2023. He put on one of his best Chelsea performances ever during the 2020–21 season, helping his team win the Champions League trophy.

The head coach of Chelsea at the time, Thomas Tuchel said, “If you play with Kante, you play with half a player extra because he offers intensity and volume that is fantastic and unique.” Its unfortunate that Kante won’t participate in the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar.

6.) Paul Pogba

Paul Pogba will miss France’s World Cup campaign as he continues to recover from a knee injury suffered in July. He tore his meniscus in preseason in July, and he has not played for Juventus since returning this summer.

In a video posted on Twitter in October, the midfielder said that he had successfully undergone surgery for a knee injury and noted that, he is still mentally strong despite rumors about his personal life.

Pogba’s agent Rafaela Pimenta said in a statement: “Following medical reviews in Torino and Pittsburgh, it is extremely painful to inform Paul will still need recovery time from his surgery. For this reason, Paul will not be able to join the Juventus squad before the World Cup break nor the French National Team in Qatar.”

7.) Presnel Kimpembe

On November 1, 2022, while playing Juventus in a group stage match, Presnel suffered an injury on his Achilles heel. He was out of play for a month and a half after suffering a hamstring injury against Brest in early September.

Didier Deschamps was concerned by the news because he already had a long list of key players missing from France’s World Cup defense. It is not known how long Kimpembe’s most recent injury will keep him out of action.

8.) Christopher Nkunku

Christopher Nkunku was ruled out of the 2022 World Cup in Qatar after twisting his leg awkwardly while challenging Eduardo Camavinga during a France training session. He was undoubtedly going to miss the tournament, but it now appears that he might also be in for a lengthy domestic absence.

9.) Timo Werner

Timo Werner will not compete in the Qatar 2022 World Cup due to an ankle injury that he suffered during RB Leipzig’s victory over Shakhtar Donetsk. He left the Champions League match early due to an ankle injury. His club team RB Leipzig officially stated that Timo Werner will not be participating in the 2022 FIFA World Cup.

10.) Raphael Varane

Raphael Varane suffered a muscular injury at Stamford Bridge in October 2022. He did, however, post a positive fitness report and expressed optimism that he would be available for selection for France’s World Cup team next month.

He had worried that he might not be able to represent the reigning champions at this winter’s World Cup finals in Qatar, where he had played a key role in their victory four years back.

Later reports put to rest his worries because the injury was not as severe as he had initially feared. His participation in the world cup is in doubts because he was expected to miss “three to four weeks” due to a possible lesion on his femoral biceps in the thigh muscle.

Top 10 Players Who Are Set To Miss The World Cup Due to Injury