International Football
Angel, Jesus absent as list of players missing the World Cup through injury is released
Both Angel di Maria of Angentina and Jesus Corona of Mexico are among the list of prominnet players who will miss the World Cup later this month.
Following is a list of players who have been ruled out of the Nov. 20-Dec. 18 World Cup through injury.
PAUL POGBA (FRANCE)
Pogba injured his knee in pre-season and went under the knife 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 appearances this season. He will be sidelined for four months after undergoing surgery.
REECE JAMES (ENGLAND)
The 22-year-old right back injured his knee in Chelsea’s Champions League clash against AC Milan in October and looks certain to miss the tournament in Qatar after being ruled out for eight weeks.
DIOGO JOTA (PORTUGAL)
The Liverpool forward will miss the tournament due to a calf injury sustained in their win over Manchester City but the Premier League club’s manager Juergen Klopp said that he would not require surgery.
ALEXANDER ISAK (SWEDEN)
The Newcastle United striker suffered a setback while recovering from a thigh injury and manager Eddie Howe confirmed he will not play again until after the World Cup.
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.
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.
The 29-year-old was named in Mexico coach Gerardo Martino’s preliminary 31-man squad but Sevilla boss Jorge Sampaoli said he could return to training only by December.
RACE AGAINST TIME
The following players are injured but fighting to get fit and be considered for selection.
ROMELU LUKAKU (BELGIUM)
Inter Milan striker Romelu Lukaku has injured his hamstring again after making a comeback after two months on the sidelines.
The 29-year-old, who is Belgium’s top scorer, played only 29 minutes across two matches before his injury setback.
PAULO DYBALA (ARGENTINA)
AS Roma coach Jose Mourinho said the Argentina forward had suffered a “very bad’ injury when he tweaked a thigh muscle while converting a penalty against Lecce.
KYLE WALKER (ENGLAND)
The Manchester City defender had successful groin surgery in early October but the 32-year-old said he was confident he will fully recover in time to make the trip to Qatar.
KALVIN PHILLIPS (ENGLAND)
The Manchester City midfielder has been sidelined due to a shoulder problem but could return before the World Cup.
RONALD ARAUJO (URUGUAY)
The Barcelona centre back opted for thigh surgery in late September, saying he made the choice to go under the knife to return to 100% “as soon as possible”.
ANGEL DI MARIA (ARGENTINA)
The Juventus winger is out until early November due to a hamstring injury which the club said would need around three weeks to heal.
Well-travelled Portuguese coach Paulo Duarte has been named as Guinea’s new coach, less than a month before their next round of World Cup qualifiers.
Duarte, 56, has twice previously coached Burkina Faso and taken charge of Gabon and Togo, while also coaching at clubs in Portugal, France, Tunisia, Angola and Saudi Arabia.
Guinea’s football federation gave no contract details when they made the announcement on Monday, but said they would be looking for Duarte to “restructure their national team”.
Guinea trail leaders Algeria by eight points in their World Cup qualifying group with four games remaining, leaving them with only a slim chance of qualification.
They play Somalia away on September 5 and then Algeria at home on September 8 in their next two qualifiers although a stadium ban means Guinea have moved their home game to Casablanca, Morocco.
-Reuters
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Veteran coach Louis van Gaal says he has been cured of cancer and is keen for a return to the higher levels of the game.
The 73-year-old announced three years ago that he was suffering from prostate cancer, but told a Dutch television talk show, “I’m no longer bothered by cancer.”
When he announced his illness, Van Gaal was the coach of the Dutch national team, but he has not worked since the last World Cup in Qatar in 2022.
“Two years ago, I had a few operations. It was all bad then. But it all worked out in the end. I have check-ups every few months, and that’s going well. I’m getting fitter and fitter,” he said.
Van Gaal, whose career has included stints at Ajax Amsterdam, Barcelona, Bayern Munich and Manchester United, reiterated a lack of interest in returning to club management but said becoming the national coach of a top-tier country could tempt him back.
He now serves as a special advisor to Ajax.
-Reuters
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In a compelling twist of football destiny, Davide Ancelotti is stepping into his own spotlight as he begins his first head coaching role at Brazilian club Botafogo—just months after parting ways with his legendary father, Carlo Ancelotti, at Real Madrid.
The 35-year-old has been appointed as Botafogo’s new manager, the club announced on Tuesday, following the sacking of Renato Paiva. Davide, who has spent the last decade working alongside his father at some of Europe’s top clubs—including Bayern Munich, Napoli, Everton, and Real Madrid—has signed a one-year deal with the Rio-based team.
This marks a significant milestone for the younger Ancelotti, whose career has long been shaped by his father’s influence, but who now faces the challenge of carving his own identity on the touchline.
The move comes shortly after both father and son departed Real Madrid at the end of last season, with Carlo taking over the Brazilian national team. Now, in a poetic alignment, father and son find themselves on different paths within Brazilian football—one leading the Seleção, the other steering the fortunes of a storied domestic club.
Botafogo’s decision to appoint Davide follows a controversial parting with Paiva, who was dismissed just days after their exit from the Club World Cup. Though he oversaw a stunning win over Champions League holders Paris Saint-Germain, a 1-0 extra-time loss to Palmeiras in the round of 16 proved to be his final act after just four months in charge.
As Davide Ancelotti begins this new chapter, all eyes will be on whether the son of one of football’s most decorated managers can step out from his father’s shadow—and perhaps, in time, build a legacy of his own.
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