TOP OF THE END OF THE

Young Player of the Year Sane and Champions League hero Benzema head an astonishing list of stars forced to sit it out this summer

AND there were some England fans debating the merits of leaving out Jonjo Shelvey.

The shock waves are still reverberating over the omission of Leroy Sane – the wideman considered one of the finest in Europe.

For most coaches, not selecting the 22-year-old Manchester City star would be seen as a footballing suicide note.

But when you have guided your nation to World Cup glory, as Germany’s Joachim Loew has, you have earned the benefit of the doubt.

It is still a shame the PFA Young Player of the Year – a serial thriller under Pep Guardiola last season – will be missing from the greatest show on turf.

Depending on your point of view his absence, and that of a clutch of other big names, has either robbed the tournament of significant talent or highlighted how much quality there will be in Russia.

Among those missing are Real Madrid’s France striker Karim Benzema, still regarded as the best forward of his generation and fresh from winning the Champions League. His relationship remains strained at best with national coach Didier Deschamps, who has plenty of alternatives to call on.

Mario Goetze, scorer of

Germany’s winner against

Argentina in the final four years ago, is out in the cold after a lacklustre campaign with Borussia Dortmund.

“We saw it wasn’t his season, not the normal form with his quality,” Loew said. “I think he has immense quality and has proved this, but he wasn’t in that form.”

Manchester United have splashed out £45million on Brazil midfielder Fabinho, but the five-time World Champions have decided they can cope without him, such is their strength in depth.

Mauro Icardi was joint top scorer in Italy’s Serie A this season, yet the Inter Milan captain does not have a place in Jorge Sampaoli’s Argentina squad.

Twenty nine league goals, helping Inter to a Champions League spot for the first time since 2012, were not enough. The decision could come back to haunt Sampaoli should his side struggle.

Former West Ham winger Dimitri Payet has impressed with Marseille and was Ligue 1’s top playmaker with 13 assists. He scored three times in the Europa League and came up with

seven assists to inspire his side to the final, where he picked up a thigh injury in the defeat by Atletico Madrid in the middle of last month.

Deschamps was in no mood to take a chance by including him, even though it was thought Payet would need just three weeks to heal.

Despite his talent and vast price tag, Manchester United’s £36m Anthony Martial is another France casualty, along with Alexandre Lacazette, whose nine goals in his final 14 games of the season for Arsenal were not enough.

Spain coach Julen Lopetegui could find no room on the plane to Russia for Chelsea’s £58m striker Alvaro Morata (below), veteran midfielder Cesc Fabregas and defender Marcos Alonso.

United midfielder Ander Herrera is absent, as is Arsenal’s Hector Bellerin. Leaving out Roma midfielder Radja Nainggolan saw Belgium coach Roberto Martinez come in for criticism.

The options available to the big hitters, however, remain impressive.

Let the games begin.