Injuries continue among the stars of the participating teams in the FIFA World Cup, which is scheduled to start in Qatar this month, the latest of which was the confirmation of the German club Leipzig on Thursday, the absence of its international striker Timo Werner from the World Cup due to an injury to his left ankle.
Werner was injured yesterday, Wednesday, in the 13th minute of his team's match against its Ukrainian host Shakhtar Donetsk (4-0) in Warsaw, in the last sixth round of the Champions League group stage, through which he booked his ticket to the final price.
Werner's withdrawal is bad news for German coach Hansi Flick, who is preparing to announce the final squad of 26 players for the global wedding scheduled for the period between November 20 and December 18.
The following is a list of players absent from the FIFA World Cup in Qatar due to injury.
1. Fawaz Al-Qarni (Saudi Arabia)
Fawaz Al-Qarni, the Saudi national team goalkeeper, was injured during the Saudi national team camp in Abu Dhabi, and his Al-Shabab club announced on October 31 that he had undergone a successful surgery, and reports stated that he would be absent for several months.
2. Paul Pogba (France)
Pogba injured his knee during pre-season and underwent surgery last September to treat a meniscus injury.
The 29-year-old player resumed training, but on October 31, his agent said that the midfielder would not return to playing with Juventus or world champion France before the World Cup in Qatar.
3. N'Golo Kante (France)
The Chelsea midfielder's hopes have been dealt a major blow during his recovery from a hamstring injury that has forced him to make two matches this season.
He will be out for 4 months after undergoing surgery.
4. Timo Werner (Germany)
Germany striker Timo Werner, 26, injured his ankle in the first half during Leipzig's 4-0 victory over Shakhtar Donetsk in the Champions League group stage on Wednesday, and he will be out until the end of 2022.
A very tough one to take for me!
I will be out for the next weeks, will miss the World Cup and will have to support @RBLeipzig and @DFB_Team from the couch, unfortunatelyđ€đ€ thanks for all your messages!
pic.twitter.com/umfQKBVi3p
â Timo Werner (@TimoWerner) November 3, 2022
5. Rhys James (England)
The 22-year-old suffered a knee injury during the Champions League match against Chelsea and AC Milan, and it seems certain that he will miss the finals because he has been out of action for 8 weeks.
6. Diogo Jota (Portugal)
The Liverpool striker will be absent due to a calf injury he sustained during the victory over Manchester City, but coach Jurgen Klopp said he may not need surgery.
7. Pedro Neto (Portugal)
The 22-year-old Wolverhampton Wanderers winger will undergo ankle surgery due to his injury against West Ham United last October.
8. Aboubacar Camara (France)
The Aston Villa midfielder suffered a knee injury last September and will be out until after the World Cup.
9. Artur Melo (Brazil)
The midfielder, loaned to Liverpool, suffered a muscle injury while preparing to face Rangers in the Champions League last October.
10. Scott Kennedy (Canada)
The 25-year-old defender sustained a shoulder injury at the end of last October while playing for the Janergensburg club in the German second division.
11. Jesus "Tecateto" Corona (Mexico)
The Seville winger broke his left ankle while training with his Spanish club, La Liga, last August and underwent surgery.
The 29-year-old was named in Mexico coach Gerardo Martino's 31-man squad, but Seville coach Jorge Sampaoli said he could only return to training by next December.
France will have to defend their trophy without Kante and Pogba in the midfield đ§ pic.twitter.com/FhnkjGKrtW
â ESPN FC (@ESPNFC) October 31, 2022
Players likely to recover
Here is a list of players likely to recover before the tournament begins:
1. Ben Chilwell (England)
Chelsea left-back Ben Chilwell has been replaced after sustaining a hamstring injury during injury time in Chelsea's Champions League win over Dinamo Zagreb.
"It does not look positive, but it is a hamstring injury and we will have to examine it and find out what the nature of the injury is," Chelsea coach Graham Potter said.
2. Son Heung-min (South Korea)
Tottenham Hotspur striker Son suffered a broken face after a tackle in the air with Chancel Mbemba during a Champions League match with Olympique Marseille.
Tottenham said the striker will have to undergo surgery to fix the fracture.
3. Romelu Lukaku (Belgium)
Inter Milan striker Romelu Lukaku injured his hamstring again after returning after a two-month absence.
The 29-year-old player, Belgium's top scorer, played only 29 minutes in two matches before he suffered a setback due to an injury.
4. Paulo Dybala (Argentina)
Roma coach Jose Mourinho said the Argentine player suffered a "very difficult" thigh injury when he was on his way to taking a penalty against Lecce.
5. Kyle Walker (England)
The Manchester City defender underwent successful hip surgery at the beginning of last October, and the 32-year-old said he was confident of going back in time before traveling to Qatar.
6. Calvin Phelps (England)
The Manchester City midfielder has missed out with a shoulder problem, but he may be back before the World Cup.
7. Ronald Araujo (Uruguay)
The Barcelona defender preferred to undergo thigh surgery at the end of last September, and said he had made the decision to get back in shape "as soon as possible".
8. Angel Di Maria (Argentina)
The Juventus winger will be absent until the beginning of November due to a hamstring injury, and the club said he needs 3 weeks to recover.