The 2018 World Cup is just a month away and national team bosses are beginning to figure out and finalise the best possible squads to bring to Russia.
In the coming weeks they will be paying close attention to the health of their players because, with plenty of football to be played, injuries will happen, which can throw their plans into disarray.
No footballer – not even the best – is completely invulnerable and sometimes fate can deliver cruel blows to individuals whose talents deserve to be showcased on the world stage. That is simply an unfortunate hazard of the profession.
As well as that, personality clashes, bans and other issues can end up preventing players from taking part.
As 32 teams get set for the big kick-off in June, Goal casts an eye over those stars who are major doubts for the World Cup as well as those who have been ruled out completely.
Confirmed out of World Cup 2018
The question of which players are definitely out of the 2018 World Cup will yield a much clearer answer as we get closer to the tournament in June, with coaches generally keen to give their playing pool the best possible chance of making the final cut. However, the cases of some players missing out are understood, if not officially communicated.
France are hoping to claim their second world title when they compete in Russia this summer but one man who is almost certain not to be part of that journey isKarim Benzema , who has not featured for his country since October 2015. The Real Madrid star does not hold much hope for the prospect of a recall ahead of the World Cup though, explaining his view that he will not be picked as long as Didier Deschamps is head coach.
Laurent Koscielny went down in excruciating pain during Arsenal’s Europa League semi-final second-leg defeat to Atletico Madrid after appearing to lose his footing and the club later confirmed that the defender had suffered a torn Achilles tendon . Unfortunately for Koscielny that means his chances of going to Russia as part of the France contingent this summer are now gone and he faces a number of months in recovery.
England will definitely have to make do without the services of Liverpool midfielder Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, who suffered a knee ligament injury in the Reds’ Champions League semi-final first leg victory over Roma. The former Arsenal star sustained the injury while making a tackle and it comes as a major blow to both the player and Three Lions boss Gareth Southgate.
He will be joined on the sidelines by club-mate Joe Gomez, who had forced himself into contention, and even earned a Man of the Match award during the Three Lions’ draw with Brazil having kept Neymar quiet. Ankle surgery, however, has ended his hopes of heading to Russia.
Brazil are one of the favourites to win the tournament, but they will have to make do without maruading full-back Dani Alves, who picked up a knee injury during the Coupe de France final and will instead spend the summer recovering ahead of Paris Saint-Germain’s 2018-19 campaign.
Germany boss Joachim Low has a massive pool of talent to draw from, but two potential additions to his World Cup panel have been ruled out. Bayern Munich winger Serge Gnabry, who is on loan at Hoffenheim, has been laid low with a groin injury, while Borussia Monchengladbach captain Lars Stindl, who played a key role in the 2017 Confederations Cup win, has suffered a serious ankle injury.
Meanwhile, Bayern Munich striker Sandro Wagner will feel aggrieved to have missed out on a spot and World Cup winner Mario Gotze also failed to make the cut.
There had been vague suggestions – encouraged by the man himself – thatZlatan Ibrahimovic could potentially make a return to the Sweden set-up for the World Cup, but the Swedish FA chief, Lars Richt, has ruled out any such possibility.
More players will undoubtedly join the aforementioned, particularly those who are considered major doubts to make the plane to Russia (see below), and we will keep you updated.
Major doubts for World Cup 2018
Five-time winners Brazil head to the tournament as one of the favourites but one of their star players finds himself in a desperate race to recover full fitness in time for the kick-off. Neymar underwent surgery on his foot in March after suffering a fractured metatarsal and a sprained ankle while playing for Paris Saint-Germain. The expectation is, however, that he’ll be ready to feature for his country in their warm-up clash with Croatia on June 3.
There is World Cup heartbreak for Peru forward Paolo Guerrero. The ex-Hamburg player saw a ban for a failed drugs test extended by the Court of Arbitration for Sport on Monday, ruling him out of contention.
Germany could have been forced into a defensive reshuffle following the news of Jerome Boateng‘s thigh injury, which has brought his domestic season to a premature end. The Bayern Munich centre-back had been expected to be out of action for between four and six weeks but he has been included in his country’s provisional squad and appears likely to be ready for Russia.
Fernando Gago was part of the Argentina squad that finished runners-up at the 2014 World Cup but the chances of him making Jorge Sampaoli’s final 23 for Russia 2018 do not look good. Now playing for Boca Juniors and aged 31, the former Real Madrid midfielder is expected to be out of action until April after sustaining a serious knee injury towards the end of 2017. The Albiceleste have included Mauro Icardi in their provisional squad but having been frequently left out of previous Argentina selections, it remains to be seen if he’ll make the final cut. The likes of Javier Pastore, Angel Correa and Carlos Tevez, meanwhile, were omitted from the preliminary squad.
Belgium have no shortage of attacking options at their disposal, but they may be without Michy Batshuayi, who saw his season ended by an ankle injury, while playing for Borussia Dortmund mid-way through April. However, while the 24-year-old’s season has been brought to an end, Dortmund refused to rule him out of the World Cup .
Iceland will be taking part in the World Cup for the first time in their history but they may have to do so without Everton midfielder Gylfi Sigurdsson . The 28-year-old is undeniably one of the best talents at Heimir Hallgrimsson’s disposal, but a knee ligament injury in March has cast serious doubts over his availability for the tournament in June. Sigurdsson remains optimistic that he will be back to full fitness in time, but history has shown that knee injuries can be particularly problematic.
Peru’s Paolo Guerrero was set to miss the World Cup after being hit with a 12-month ban from football in December for testing positive for performance-enhancing drugs (including cocaine) but that ban was reduced to six months after an appeal. As such, the former Bayern Munich striker could potentially make the tournament, but he would have just a month to prove his worth.
Potential doubts for World Cup 2018
While Manuel Neuer has been named in Germany’s provisional squad, the Bayern Munich keeper will be assessed further before Joachim Low makes his final call on the 23 players who will feature in Russia. Low said at a press conference on May 15: “We want to see for ourselves if Manuel Neuer is fit, we have a chance to see and assess him. And after the training camp we want to talk fair and square.”
Spain boss Julen Lopetegui, meanwhile, will have a decision to make over whether or not to bring the likes of Chelsea striker Alvaro Morata , who has been struggling with persistent back and thigh problems this season, and Arsenal’s Hector Bellerin.
The latter, in particular, has not featured for La Roja since 2016. France could have to make do without the services of left-back Benjamin Mendy for the World Cup, with the Man City man only recently making a return to action following a serious cruciate knee ligament injury.
