Injured players hope to heal in time for 2022 Fifa World Cup showpiece

epa07013580 Argentina forward Paulo Dybala drives toward the goal during the second half of the friendly match between the national teams of the Colombia and Argentina at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey, USA, 11 September 2018. EPA-EFE/COREY SIPKIN

By Yanga Sibembe

6 Nov 2022

Punishing schedules may have contributed to a spate of injuries in the run-up to Qatar.

With the 2022 Fifa World Cup in Qatar now just weeks away, several high-profile players look likely to be absent from the global showpiece.

The likes of Liverpool and Portugal forward Diogo Jota, plus the midfield pairing of reigning world champions France – N’Golo Kante and Paul Pogba – are all set to miss out on taking part in the tournament because of injury.

The ever-running Kante is recovering from hamstring surgery and is expected to watch from the sidelines for the next four months at least. Pogba has not played a single match since leaving Manchester United for Juventus in June.

The 29-year-old midfielder suffered a meniscus tear during pre-season back in July and has not kicked a ball since. He will take solace from the fact that he lifted the World Cup trophy with his country in 2018, scoring the third goal in their 4-2 win over Croatia in the final.

Portugal's Diogo Jota (left) in action against Switzerland's Kevin Mbabu (right) during the Uefa Nations League match between Portugal and Switzerland in Lisbon, Portugal, 5 June 2022. (Photo: EPA-EFE / LAURENT GILLIERON)

Jota is set for a prolonged spell on the sidelines because of the calf muscle injury he sustained against Manchester City in mid-October. Though the Portuguese still rely heavily on their talismanic but ageing skipper Cristiano Ronaldo, Jota’s absence will be a significant blow to their World Cup hopes. His quality is unquestionable.

Pedro Neto of Wolverhampton Wanderers is also out of contention for a place in the Portugal side following an ankle injury. Neto will be gutted as an earlier injury, which kept him on the sidelines for 10 months, caused him to miss out on a slot in Portugal’s failed defence of their continental title at Euro 2020.

Dutch midfielder Georginio Wijnaldum is out of the running because of a fractured tibia. He is expected to return to the pitch some time in 2023, barring a fast recovery or an improved prognosis.

Meanwhile, England’s strength in depth for the World Cup has taken a knock, with Arsenal’s midfield magician Emile Smith Rowe set to miss the tournament owing to a groin injury that required surgery. He’s only expected to be back in training in December.

Georginio Wijnaldum of the Netherlands celebrates after scoring his team's second goal during the Uefa Euro 2020 preliminary round Group C match between North Macedonia and the Netherlands in Amsterdam, Netherlands, 21 June 2021. (Photo: EPA-EFE / Kenzo Tribouillard)

The hopefuls

Though the previously mentioned players are definitely out of the quadrennial spectacle, there are others who are keeping fingers crossed in the hope of recovering in time for Qatar.

Players in a race against time include Raphael Varane. The Manchester United defender suffered a hamstring injury in his club’s recent stalemate against Chelsea and left the pitch in tears as it dawned on him that he might not be part of France’s World Cup defence.

“He will be out, certainly until the World Cup. So he will not play in this block for Manchester United.

“I think [he can play at the World Cup] but we have to wait for the prognosis,” said United manager Erik ten Hag.

In the same boat as Varane are Argentina’s Paulo Dybala and Angel di Maria, plus England/Chelsea right-back Reece James. For Argentina, not having the duo might be a major blow for their World Cup hopes.

Argentina forward Paulo Dybala drives towards the goal during the second half of the friendly match between the national teams of Colombia and Argentina at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey, US, 11 September 2018. (Photo: EPA-EFE / COREY SIPKIN)

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With Lionel Messi indicating this may be his final World Cup, the fairytale hope is that the football great will finally add the trophy to his accomplishments and further elevate his status as one of the greatest sportspeople of all time.

The closest the Argentines have come to fulfilling Messi’s destiny was in the 2014 edition played in Brazil, where they were edged out by eventual champions Germany in the final.

“It’s a concern because it’s a different World Cup, you play at a different time and we’re so close that any little thing that can happen to you can leave you out,” 35-year-old Messi told DirecTV Sports as he discussed injuries his compatriots had suffered.

Particularly devastated about his injury setback will be Dybala.

The attacker had reinvented himself following his departure from Juventus to join Serie A rivals Roma at the beginning of the current season.

The Argentine had scored seven goals from 11 games in all competitions, and was looking as if he was enjoying his football once more after a rough spell with injuries in 2020/2021, which culminated in him being left out of the Copa America-winning squad for his country.

In previous major tournaments he was deprived of substantial game time, with his country boasting a plethora of attacking prowess as Messi, Sergio Agüero, Gonzalo Higuaín and Mauro Icardi were firing on all cylinders.

This World Cup is supposed to be his chance to finally showcase his talent on the biggest stage.

Messi added: “I hope they both recover. They have plenty of time to get well for the World Cup. Hopefully, we can all get there in good health.”

For England, James and fellow defender Kyle Walker (who plays for Manchester City) are pushing to be fit enough in time to play in the tournament.

With Newcastle United’s Kieran Trippier the only in-form right-back, while Trent Alexander-Arnold struggles, England manager Gareth Southgate will pray that at least one of the two can be fit enough to be included in his final squad.

Taking players who are not match-fit to such events is always a gamble. However, if they recover in time for the knockout stages, either James or Walker will be invaluable additions to Southgate’s side.

Away from tradition

This edition of the World Cup is a step away from the norm in the tournament. It will be the first time it is played in December. The new timeline was introduced because of the scorching temperatures in Qatar during the World Cup’s usual end-of-the-season window, June to July.

Unfortunately, this is causing serious issues for teams and players, who have been forced to cram a very tight schedule into a few months.

“It’s difficult and it’s sad because as players you want to go to the World Cup, but we have this schedule where we have to play for our club and do our best,” said Chelsea captain César Azpilicueta.

“We are fighting a lot for player welfare because the schedule is crazy.”

“We have five subs now, but we have in our team a couple of injuries that make it more difficult to rotate.

“We are playing every few days, but it’s how it is and we have to step up.”

Some of the injured players, such as Dybala and Pogba, have previously struggled with injury so their setbacks cannot be directly attributed to this World Cup reshuffle.

Nevertheless, the others’ injuries may very well be pinned to the congested schedule.

In fact, there may be more injuries before the World Cup kicks off on 20 November, but national team coaches will be keeping their fingers crossed that their sides suffer no more setbacks. DM168

This story first appeared in our weekly Daily Maverick 168 newspaper, which is available countrywide for R25.

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The hopefuls

Away from tradition