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World Cup 2022: which major football players are missing FIFA tournament?

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Following is a list of players who have been ruled out or are doubtful for the Nov. 20-Dec. 18 World Cup through injury.

PAUL POGBA (FRANCE)

Pogba injured his knee in pre-season and underwent surgery in September to repair a damaged meniscus.

The 29-year-old resumed training but on Oct. 31 his agent said the midfielder would not return to action for Juventus nor the world champions before the World Cup.

N’GOLO KANTE (FRANCE)

The Chelsea midfielder suffered a setback in his rehabilitation from a hamstring injury that has restricted him to two league appearances this season. He will be sidelined for four months after undergoing surgery.

TIMO WERNER (GERMANY)

The RB Leipzig forward, 26, sustained an ankle injury during their 4-0 Champions League victory over Shakhtar Donetsk at the start of November and will be sidelined for the rest of 2022.

REECE JAMES (ENGLAND)

The 22-year-old right back injured his knee in Chelsea’s Champions League clash against AC Milan in October and said he will not be a part of the England team.

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DIOGO JOTA (PORTUGAL)

The Liverpool forward will miss the tournament due to a calf injury sustained in their victory over Manchester City, but the Premier League club’s manager Juergen Klopp said that he would not require surgery.

PEDRO NETO (PORTUGAL)

The 22-year-old Wolverhampton Wanderers winger will undergo surgery on an ankle injury sustained against West Ham United in October.

BOUBACAR KAMARA (FRANCE)

The Aston Villa midfielder suffered a knee ligament injury in September that will keep him out until after the World Cup.

ARTHUR MELO (BRAZIL)

Liverpool’s on-loan midfielder picked up a muscle injury in the build-up to a Champions League clash with Rangers in October.

SCOTT KENNEDY (CANADA)

The 25-year-old defender sustained a freak shoulder injury at the end of October while playing for SSV Jahn Regensburg in the German second division.

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JESUS ‘TECATITO’ CORONA (MEXICO)

The Sevilla winger suffered a fracture on his left ankle while he was training with the LaLiga club in August and underwent surgery.

GIOVANI LO CELSO (ARGENTINA)

The midfielder picked up a hamstring injury while playing for Villarreal and Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni described him as being “irreplaceable” when naming his squad.

MARCO REUS (GERMANY)

The Borussia Dortmund captain sustained an ankle injury and failed to recover fully in time. Reus also missed the 2014 World Cup after getting injured on the eve of their departure for Brazil, where they won the title.

BEN CHILWELL (ENGLAND)

Left back Ben Chilwell pulled up with a hamstring injury during added time in Chelsea’s Champions League win over Dinamo Zagreb and said days later he had suffered “significant damage” that will rule him out of the World Cup.

PRESNEL KIMPEMBE (FRANCE)

The Paris St Germain centre back ruled himself out because of a hamstring injury.

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YUTA NAKAYAMA (JAPAN)

The defender will miss the World Cup after being ruled out for the rest of the season due to an Achilles injury.

RACE AGAINST TIME

The following players are injured but fighting to get fit for the tournament.

SADIO MANE (SENEGAL)

Sadio Mane has been named in Senegal’s squad for the World Cup despite suffering an injury playing for Bayern Munich. He will undergo checks in Munich to monitor his recovery.

PAULO DYBALA (ARGENTINA)

Paulo Dybala, returned to action for AS Roma from a thigh injury that had kept him out for a month. He has been named in the Argentina squad as they hope he regains full match fitness before their campaign begins.

RONALD ARAUJO (URUGUAY)

Uruguay have gambled on the recovery of Ronald Araujo in naming the Barcelona defender in their 26-man squad after he underwent thigh surgery.

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Kunle Solaja is the author of landmark books on sports and journalism as well as being a multiple award-winning journalist and editor of long standing. He is easily Nigeria’s foremost soccer diarist and Africa's most capped FIFA World Cup journalist, having attended all FIFA World Cup finals from Italia ’90 to Qatar 2022. He was honoured at the Qatar 2022 World Cup by FIFA and AIPS.

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German Thomas Tuchel becomes 3rd foreign manager for England

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 - Bayern Munich v VfL Wolfsburg - Allianz Arena, Munich, Germany - May 12, 2024 Bayern Munich coach Thomas Tuchel looks on before the match REUTERS/Angelika Warmuth/File Photo

Former Chelsea manager Thomas Tuchel has been named the new head coach of the England national team, the country’s Football Association said in a statement on Wednesday.

The German, who is England’s third foreign manager, after Sweden’s Sven-Goran Eriksson and Italian Fabio Capello, will be assisted by Englishman Anthony Barry, the statement added.

“We are thrilled to have hired Thomas Tuchel, one of the best coaches in the world and Anthony Barry who is one of the best English coaches to support him,” FA CEO Mark Bullingham said.

Tuchel replaces Lee Carsley, England’s under-21 manager, who has been in temporary charge since the resignation of Gareth Southgate after England’s defeat by Spain in the Euro 2024 final in July.

-Reuters

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Factbox on England head coach Thomas Tuchel

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Champions League - Bayern Munich Training - Santiago Bernabeu, Madrid, Spain - May 7, 2024 Bayern Munich coach Thomas Tuchel on the pitch during a walk around REUTERS/Juan Medina/File Photo

German Thomas Tuchel has been appointed head coach of the England national team on Wednesday.

Born: Aug. 29, 1973 in Krumbach, Germany.

PLAYING CAREER

* Tuchel played for his local club TSV Krumbach, before moving to FC Augsburg’s academy at the age of 15.

* He never played for Augsburg’s senior side and joined German second division team Stuttgarter Kickers in 1992.

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* After eight league appearances for Kickers, Tuchel moved to fourth-tier SSV Ulm.

* Tuchel made 69 league appearances for Ulm as a central defender before he was forced to retire in 1998 at the age of 25 due to a knee injury.

COACHING CAREER

* Tuchel began his coaching career with a youth team role at VfB Stuttgart in 2000, working with future Germany internationals Mario Gomez and Holger Badstuber.

* He returned to Augsburg and took charge of their reserve team for the 2007-08 season.

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* Tuchel was appointed Mainz 05 manager in 2009, replacing compatriot Juergen Klopp.

* He guided Mainz to Bundesliga stability during his five-year stint at the club, gaining plaudits for his team’s high energy, attacking style of play.

* Tuchel took over from Klopp as Borussia Dortmund coach in 2015.

* He led Dortmund to a 2-1 victory over Eintracht Frankfurt in the 2017 German Cup final. He was sacked by Dortmund three days later.

* Tuchel joined Paris St Germain in 2018 on a two-year contract, replacing Unai Emery.

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* He won two Ligue 1 titles, including a domestic quadruple in his second season, and guided the club to their first Champions League final, where they lost 1-0 to Bayern Munich.

* Tuchel was sacked by PSG on Christmas Eve in 2020, despite the club finishing top of their Champions League group and sitting third in the Ligue 1 table.

* He was named Chelsea manager in January 2021 on an initial 18-month contract following the dismissal of Frank Lampard.

* Tuchel revived the team’s Premier League season and guided the London club to the Champions League final, where they beat Manchester City. Chelsea also won the Super Cup and Club World Cup.

* Chelsea sacked Tuchel in September 2022 following a shock 1-0 defeat at Dinamo Zagreb in their opening Champions League group game.

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* Bayern Munich appointed Tuchel to succeed Julian Nagelsmann in March last year.

* Bayern decided to let Tuchel go at the end of the 2023-24 season despite a contract until 2025. Tuchel steered Bayern to the Bundesliga title in 2022-23, but they finished the last campaign without any silverware for the first time in more than a decade.

* Tuchel will become England’s third foreign manager after Sweden’s Sven-Goran Eriksson and Italian Fabio Capello.

* Tuchel will take over the team in January ahead of the qualification campaign for the 2026 World Cup.

-Reuters

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Portugal call up same player named in England Under-18 squad

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Mateus Mane in England's colour

Wolverhampton Wanderers forward Mateus Mane has become hot property after Portugal named the 17-year-old in their Under-18 squad on Friday, one day after England included him in their squad.

Mane was called up for a second successive England youth camp by coach Liam Bramley before the team travel to Marbella for a four-team tournament this month.

Mane is eligible for both teams having played for the Portugal Under-17 side last season. As the Under-18 team is a non-UEFA age group, both nations are entitled to call the player up.

He made his England international debut last month against the Portugal Under-18 side who have named Mane in their squad for a four-nation tournament this month.

With both tournaments running concurrently, Mane can only play for one team and Wolves and England confirmed he would feature in Bramley’s side.

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Reuters has contacted Portugal’s football association for clarification.

While players with multiple nationalities have played for more than one country if they are eligible, they are not allowed to switch allegiances at senior level – unless they have played only in friendly matches for the first country.

-Reuters

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