Which Premier League stars have been ruled out of the World Cup in Qatar with injury and who is facing a race against time to be fit?
Arsenal
OUT
Emile Smith Rowe, England: Surgery on groin tendon
DOUBT
Bukayo Saka, England: Ankle injury currently being assessed
Aston Villa
DOUBT
Boubacar Kamara, France: Recovering from knee ligament injury
Bournemouth
DOUBT
David Brooks, Wales: Hamstring injury after cancer (Hodgkin lymphoma) all clear and hasn’t played since September 2021
Brentford
DOUBT
Christian Norgaard, Denmark: Recovering from Achilles injury, due back early November
Brighton
OUT
Jakub Moder, Poland: ACL injury
Chelsea
N’Golo Kante is out of the tournament with a hamstring injury
OUT
N’Golo Kante, France: Recovering from hamstring surgery
Wesley Fofana, France: Knee injury
DOUBT
Reece James, England: Knee injury
Leicester
Ricardo Pereira won’t be available for Portugal
OUT
Ricardo, Portugal: Recovering from Achilles surgery
Liverpool
A calf injury has cost Diogo Jota his World Cup place
OUT
Arthur Melo, Brazil: Thigh injury
Diogo Jota, Portugal: Calf injury
Man City
Kyle Walker is in a race against time to be fit following groin surgery
DOUBT
Kalvin Phillips, England: Recovering from shoulder surgery
Kyle Walker, England: Recovering from groin surgery
Man Utd
DOUBT
Raphael Varane, France: Hamstring injury
Nottingham Forest
DOUBT
Moussa Niakhate, Senegal: Hamstring injury
Southampton
DOUBT
Arel Bella Kotchap, Germany: Dislocated shoulder
Tottenham
Richarlison is still hoping to be fit to represent Brazil
DOUBT
Richarlison, Brazil: Calf injury
Wolves
Pedro Neto has been ruled out of the competition
OUT
Pedro Neto, Portugal: Ankle injury
DOUBT
Raul Jiminez, Mexico: Groin injury
Familiar faces who could also miss out
Romelu Lukaku is an injury doubt with the World Cup after injuring his hamstring
The tournament in Qatar is also set to be without some other global football stars, including Belgium’s Romelu Lukaku, who is a major doubt after picking up a hamstring problem, and France’s Paul Pogba, who continues to struggle with a knee injury.
The Netherlands will definitely be missing Gini Wijnaldum, who broke his leg in August, but Paulo Dybala and Angel Di Maria look on course to win their own battles with calf and hamstring injuries, respectively, to represent Argentina.
There was also good news for Germany fans, with Manuel Neuer nearing a return from his shoulder injury, although, like his French Bayern Munich team-mate Lucas Hernandez, who is back from a groin injury, there will be little time to get match-sharp ahead of the World Cup.
Spain’s Dani Olmo and Mikel Oyarzabal – key figures in their run to the Euros semi-finals last summer – are in a similar situation after ankle and knee injuries.