The FIFA World Cup is still a year away but the Confederations Cup is set to begin on the 17th of June (Saturday) and the teams involved have already travelled to Russia to kick-start their preparations. The tournament will be contested between the winners of FIFA’s six continental championships (UEFA, CONMEBOL, CONCACAF, CAF, OFC, AFC) along with the World Cup winners and the host nation.
Also read: FIFA Confederations Cup 2017: 5 reasons why Cristiano Ronaldo should not feature in the tournament
Germany, Portugal, Chile, Cameroon, Mexico, Australia, New Zealand and Russia will be the nations contesting the tournament this year which will begin in St. Petersburg when hosts Russia take on New Zealand in the inaugural match. Here we take a look at five big players who will miss out on the tournament:
#5 Joel Matip (Cameroon)
Joel Matip made the headlines for all the wrong reasons in January when he decided to snub Cameroon’s AFCON campaign along with a few of his teammates. The defender stayed back with Liverpool during the tournament and missed out on his country’s run to the title.
Matip has always performed well in his country’s colours and was the only shining light in Cameroon’s disastrous World Cup campaign in Brazil three years ago. He also managed to score their only goal of the tournament in a 4-1 loss to the hosts.
Matip made 27 appearances for Liverpool this season and enjoyed almost 2500 minutes of playing time for the Reds, spearheading their first top four finish in two years.
The player has not travelled with the team to Russia, though, after falling down the pecking order. Moreover, head coach Hugo Broos admitted that he doesn’t fancy picking players who don’t value the shirt enough and that could mean the end of Matip’s international career.
#4 Renato Sanches (Portugal)
The omission of Renato Sanches from Portugal’s squad for the Confederations Cup comes in the wake of a disappointing first season with Bayern Munich in Germany. The youngster took the world by storm when he burst onto the scene in the 2016 European Championship that Portugal won by beating hosts and favourites France in the final.
It didn’t take too long for the big clubs to notice the talent possessed by the 19-year-old and the Bundesliga champions signed him up for €35m from Benfica.
However, the midfielder has struggled for playing time ever since joining the Bavarians and has only managed to start six Bundesliga games this season under Carlo Ancelotti.
The Young Player of the Tournament at the Euro 2016 will, however, feature in the Under 21 Euro Championship scheduled to be held in Poland, starting on June 22nd.
#3 Marco Reus (Germany)
Marco Reus has endured probably the worst ever luck when it comes to injuries. Despite being a standout player for Borussia Dortmund over the years, the winger has only managed to make 29 appearances despite making his debut for the national team back in 2011.
Reus missed out on Germany’s 2014 World Cup winning campaign and also didn’t take part in the 2016 Euro Championship. However, he scored seven goals and made four assists in 16 Bundesliga games this season for Dortmund before missing the remainder of the campaign due to injury.
The 28-year-old has been ruled out till the beginning of next year after suffering a ruptured cruciate ligament towards the end of last season and the injury has now adversely affected his chances of making the squad for next year’s World Cup in Russia. Reports have suggested that he could return to training as late as the end of January next year.
The player had a genuine chance of making the squad for the Confederations Cup had he remained fit considering the fact that Germany are resting a lot of their superstars for the tournament.
#2 Toni Kroos (Germany)
Toni Kroos was arguably one of the best central midfielders in Europe this season alongside club teammate Luka Modric as the duo played an instrumental role in helping Real Madrid win their first league title in five years. The two also helped them become the first team in the history of the Champions League to retain the trophy.
Kroos has been a star for his country in recent years after featuring in their 2014 World Cup winning side, ending with the highest number of assists (4) and earning a spot in FIFA.com’s Team of the Competition.
The midfielder, however, has been rested after an exhausting season with his club where he made 43 appearances for the Los Blancos and enjoyed more than 3500 minutes of playing time. Racking up 12 assists in the league, Kroos will not be present in the heart of Germany’s midfield when they kick start their Confederations Cup campaign against Australia on the 19th of June.
#1 Manuel Neuer (Germany)
Manuel Neuer is another key member who will miss out on the competition due to a fractured foot he suffered back in April. The goalkeeper has been an outstanding performer over the years for both club and country and Germany will definitely miss his experience in the back-line.
Neuer won the Golden Glove award in the 2014 World Cup and was one of Germany’s best players throughout the tournament.
The 31-year-old enjoyed yet another successful domestic season with Bundesliga champions Bayern and made over 40 appearances in all competitions. Neuer managed a league-high 14 clean sheets despite playing only 26 league games. The shot-stopper is expected to be out until the beginning of August and could be sidelined for a few games at the beginning of the season. The player recently got married to long time girlfriend Nina and will be away from the action for atleast a month.
