Players Exhausted...Mass Departure of Top-Level Athletes
Warning Signs for Korea's Son Heung-min, Hwang Hee-chan, Kim Jin-su, Yoon Jong-gyu, and Others
The 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar is held in November and December to avoid the extreme heat of the Middle East. Almost all countries, except Qatar and Saudi Arabia, gathered their players about two weeks in advance to coordinate. Due to the tight schedule, many countries skipped friendly matches. Still, players are exhausted. European league players played matches for their clubs until mid-November. Asian league players played many matches in a relatively short period. The risk of injury is inevitably high.
The situation where players cannot properly perform in the finals is becoming apparent. Injury setbacks are occurring one after another in each team around the opening. Gareth Southgate, England’s manager, announced at a press conference on the 21st (Korean time), ahead of the first Group B match against Iran, that midfielder James Maddison (Leicester City) and defender Kyle Walker (Manchester City) will not participate. Maddison, who complained of knee pain in club matches, has not been able to train since arriving in Qatar. Walker is recovering from surgery due to a groin injury. Southgate judged that it is still too early for them to play.
The Netherlands, who play their first Group A match against Senegal on the 22nd, will also be without forward Memphis Depay (FC Barcelona). Louis van Gaal, the Dutch manager, expressed concern, saying, "Just as Senegal is missing Sadio Man? (Bayern Munich), it will be a blow for us as well." Man? suffered a shinbone injury in a club match on the 8th and underwent surgery, ruling him out of the World Cup. Belgium’s Romelu Lukaku (Inter Milan), who holds the record for most goals in A matches (68 goals), is struggling with a hamstring injury and is expected to miss the second Group F match against Morocco. Uruguay’s defender Ronald Ara?jo (Barcelona) is also likely to miss the first Group H match against South Korea due to a right thigh muscle injury. On the 20th, his second day in Doha, he underwent separate rehabilitation training.
Defending champion France is close to an 'injury ward.' Midfielders N'Golo Kant? (Chelsea) and Paul Pogba (Juventus) could not join the final squad due to injuries. This year’s Ballon d’Or winner Karim Benzema (Real Madrid) also missed the World Cup in Doha. He complained of left thigh pain during training, and an examination revealed an abnormality in the rectus femoris muscle. A recovery period of about three weeks was expected, so he gave up participation. France will compete in this tournament with twenty-five players without selecting a replacement. Australia, France’s first Group D opponent, also lost starting winger Martin Boyle (Hibernian). He was troubled by a knee injury that started at his club and was held back by an ankle issue. Marco Tilio (Melbourne City) will fill the gap.
Besides these, star players from various countries such as Germany’s Timo Werner (Leipzig) and Portugal’s Diogo Jota (Liverpool) either did not make the final squad or were dropped after inclusion. South Korea is no exception. Son Heung-min (Tottenham), who recently underwent surgery for an orbital fracture, still has an uncertain status regarding participation. Forward Hwang Hee-chan (Wolverhampton) and defender Kim Jin-su (Jeonbuk) also could not fully participate in team training due to hamstring injuries. Defender Yoon Jong-gyu (Seoul) was excluded from training recently due to discomfort in his hamstring.
© The Asia Business Daily(www.asiae.co.kr). All rights reserved.
![Clutching a Stolen Dior Bag, Saying "I Hate Being Poor but Real"... The Grotesque Con of a "Human Knockoff" [Slate]](https://cwcontent.asiae.co.kr/asiaresize/183/2026021902243444107_1771435474.jpg)
