GOALKEEPER: Gianluigi Donnarumma (Italy/49 squads)
Like his compatriots Marco Verratti and Jorginho, the Paris Saint-Germain goalkeeper sank with the 'Nazionale' after the defeat to modest North Macedonia (1-0) in the playoffs. For the second time in a row, Italy was left out of the World Cup.
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RIGHT-SIDE: Reece James (England/15 caps)
“Annihilated”, wrote the young Chelsea defender on Twitter on November 9th. On that date he officially withdrew from the World Cup due to a knee injury suffered in mid-October.
DEFENDERS: Sergio Ramos (Spain/180 call-ups) and Presnel Kimpembe (France/28 call-ups)
Two world champions are in the group of absentees. Spain has become accustomed to being without Ramos, who has not worn his country's shirt since March 2021. Kimpembe, in turn, hoped to defend the title won by the 'Bleus' in 2018 until the end. Initial of Didier Deschamps. But, as he did not recover from an Achilles tendon injury, he had to give up and leave his place to Alex Disasi.
LEFT SIDE: Ferland Mendy (France/9 squads)
A starter at Real Madrid, but not very important for Les Bleus, 27-year-old Ferland Mendy never fully established himself in the French team. This time, Deschamps preferred the two brothers Lucas and Theo Hernández. Lucas Digne (46 summons) was also left out.
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FLYERS: N'Golo Kanté (France/53 squads)
“Not having 'NG' is a factor to be taken into consideration, due to his energy and experience. He is such a captivating little guy, always smiling. We will miss him,” said Deschamps. Kante, the 2018 world champion, had a difficult season with Chelsea. He only played in the first two games of the season with a hamstring injury and will not return until 2023.
STOCKHOLDERS: Thiago Alcântara (Spain/46 call-ups) and Paul Pogba (France/91 call-ups)
Two of the most talented midfielders in the world will be absent. Thiago Alcântara, who always shone for Liverpool, did not convince Luis Enrique to make a place for him in a Spanish team traditionally filled with the midfield position. Pogba, in turn, was left out of the tournament due to injuries to his knee and right thigh. Without him and Kanté, the current world champions' midfield will have to rebuild.
ATTACKERS: Mohammed Salah (Egypt/83 call-ups), Erling Haaland (Norway/23 call-ups) and Roberto Firmino (Brazil/55 call-ups)
Egypt missed out on qualifying for Qatar after a dramatic clash against Senegal, who had already defeated the country in the final of the last African Cup of Nations. Therefore, Salah will not be at the World Cup, as will Senegalese Mané – who will be left out due to an injury.
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Firmino, in turn, is paying for the limited participation in Liverpool's matches and, mainly, for Brazil's incredible offensive wealth. Ultimately, Haaland failed to qualify for Norway, which has not participated in a World Cup since 1998.
Most absent (injured, not called up or due to the teams' absence from the World Cup):
- goalkeepers: David De Gea (Spain/not called up); Mike Maignan (France/injured)
- Defenders: Ben Chilwell (England/injured); Jonathan Clauss (France/not called up); Gabriel (Brazil/not called up); Fikayo Tomori (England/uncapped).
- Socks: Philippe Coutinho (Brazil/injured); Giovanni Lo Celso (Argentina/injured); Renato Sanches (Portugal/not called up); Marco Verratti (Italy/not classified); Georginio Wijnaldum (Dutch/injured).
- Strikers: Tammy Abraham (England/not called up); Luis Díaz (Colombia/injured); Alexis Sánchez (Chile/unclassified); Riyad Mahrez (Algeria/unclassified); Timo Werner (Germany/injured).
(With AFP)
