Injuries to star players cloud looming World Cup in Qatar

Controversy, from alcohol availability to human rights violations, has swirled off the pitch at the looming World Cup in Qatar. On the pitch, the schedule of the event has raised concerns regarding injuries.

Qatar and Ecuador kick off the first match on Nov. 20. The event ends Dec. 18.

Major international soccer events, such as the Euro or World Cup, are held in June and July. That gives players time to finish seasons with their international clubs before major competions. Those seasons usually end in May.

With less than three weeks to go before the start of this year's World Cup, players are still competing for their clubs across the world. This has left important players on international teams vulnerable to injuries that could affect their World Cup status.

French midfielder Paul Pogba recently suffered a knee injury and has been ruled out of the tournament, per ESPN.

Pogba's injury came weeks after it was reported that French midfielder N’Golo Kante (Chelsea) would miss the Cup and likely be sidelined until 2023 because of a hamstring injury. He underwent surgery in mid-October.

“Les Bleus” will be without their two most valuable and experienced midfielders for soccer's most important tournament. In the 2018 World Cup and 2020 Euro, Pogba and Kante were the key playmakers in France’s center-midfield.

Kante’s ability to read opposing offenses, intercept passes, and make clean tackles gave the national team a huge advantage on the counter-attack. On the international level, Pogba has often showcased abilities to make long passes and even score as a midfielder.

Over the weekend, England had a major scare when 21 year-old star forward Bukayo Saka (Arsenal) tweaked his ankle. Throughout the match, he was victimized by many hard tackles. He left the Premier League contest before halftime.

Arsenal HC Mikael Arteta, however, said that he was confident Saka would join England as it prepares to travel to Qatar in about two weeks.