Crazy schedule robs World Cup of all-star cast
GARETH Southgate is facing a mounting injury list as he prepares to name his World Cup squad.
And what is supposed to be football’s biggest showpiece will be missing some of the star attractions, with national managers around the globe changing their sqauds on an almost daily basis.
Paul Pogba, N’Golo Kante, Paulo Dybala, Timo Werner and Gini Wijnaldum are among those definitely out of Qatar.
Raphael Varane, Heung-Min Son and the Germany trio of Manuel Neuer, Marco Reus and Leroy Sane are also facing potential World Cup heartbreak as they race to get fit in time.
Tottenham have a striker crisis with Son suffering a fracture near his eye on Tuesday, Lucas Moura having to play through the pain barrier and Richarlison sidelined for the club’s past five games.
Manager Southgate will name his 26-man squad next Thursday and Chelsea’s Ben Chilwell is the latest England player to suffer.
On Wednesday, he left Stamford Bridge on crutches after what looked like a serious hamstring injury with Reece James, KyleWalker and Kalvin Phillips already battling to be fit in time for
England. That leaves Southgate facing a full-back crisis given that James is first choice on the right and Luke Shaw is the only fully fit option on the left.
The winter World Cup is a unique event, coming in the middle of most countries’ domestic seasons but, rather than allowing players to go in form and at peak fitness, the knock-on effect has meant a huge number of club games have had to be squeezed in before Qatar.
That has undoubtedly put added pressure on players and is why they appear to be dropping like flies.
Most England players still have three games before they jet off to Qatar with two Premier League fixtures and next week’s third-round Carabao Cup ties.
Harry Kane has already played a staggering 20 games for club and country since the start of Spurs’ season on August 6, which works out at roughly a game every four days, but is showing no signs of slowing down.
The Tottenham striker insists he will not ease up before Qatar, where he could become England’s record men’s goalscorer, and the nation will be praying he stays fit and in top form.
England fly to Qatar on November 15
– just a week on Tuesday – and every time a player goes down for treatment before then there will be
genuine concern and a sharp intake of breath.
The gruelling schedule, worrying fixture list and demands on players is a massive worry and these World Cup finals may end up paying the price if the stars are
missing.