Several high-profile players will miss the World Cup or head into a late fitness race after injuries this season, according to ESPN. Hugo Ekitike, Rodrygo, Xavi Simons and Serge Gnabry are among those described as out, while youngsters such as Estêvão are listed as doubts.
Hugo Ekitike ruptured his Achilles and is set to be out until late-2026, meaning he will miss the World Cup and part of the next Premier League season, the report says. The Liverpool striker left the pitch in tears and on a stretcher during the second leg of the quarterfinal tie at Anfield. “Unfortunately, the severity of [Ekitike’s] injury will prevent him from finishing the season with Liverpool and taking part in the World Cup,” France boss Didier Deschamps said in an FFF statement, per the report. Ekitike had started a France friendly in March against Brazil prior to his injury.
Rodrygo suffered a torn ACL and meniscus in his right knee after coming on in Real Madrid’s 1-0 loss to Getafe on March 2, effectively ending his World Cup prospects, the report says. The forward appeared in all five of Brazil’s matches at the Qatar World Cup, starting one, and described the diagnosis on social media as one of the ‘worst days of my life.’ The report adds he faces an extended spell out.
Tottenham’s Xavi Simons went down with a ruptured anterior cruciate ligament in a 1-0 win at Wolves on April 25 and will miss the remainder of the season, the report says; Simons posted that his chance to play for the Netherlands had been ‘snatched’ and Tottenham said he would undergo surgery. Germany will be without Serge Gnabry after an adductor injury to his right thigh; Gnabry wrote that his ‘World Cup dream is over,’ while Bayern described him as facing a ‘longer spell out’ with no timeline provided, per the report.
Takumi Minamino tore the ACL in his left knee in December, a significant setback for Japan; the Monaco midfielder scored four goals to help Japan qualify and has 73 international caps and 26 goals, per the report. Spain’s striker Samu Aghehowa suffered an ACL injury in February for Porto and was ruled out for the remainder of his club’s season, with the World Cup expected to come too soon, the report says. Eighteen-year-old Chelsea winger Estêvão is listed as a doubt after sources confirmed to ESPN that his hamstring injury, which ended his season, is worse than initially feared.
