5 key players who will miss the Round of 16 | UEFA Champions League 2019-20

Luis Suarez
Luis Suarez

The knockout stage of the UEFA Champions League is almost upon us, with Europe's elite clubs set to resume hostilities to be crowned champions of the continent come May.

What started with 32 clubs back in September has been whittled down to the last 16 and over the next one month, a place in the quarter-finals would be up for grabs as sides take on one another in two-legged ties.

In light of this, every coach would have loved going into the fixtures with a fully fit squad of players but injuries are very much a part of the game and no player, no matter how great or talented, is immune from their treacherous snare.

Injuries come in different forms, with some effectively ending great careers, while others are nothing more than minor scares that are bounced back from with time.

With just days to the commencement of the Champions League knockout rounds, some clubs have been hit with devastating injury news and would not have the services of key players heading into the fixtures.

Here, we shall have a rundown of five important players who have been ruled out of the Champions League knockout rounds due to injury.


Also Read: Previewing and predicting every UEFA Champions League Round of 16 tie


#5 Memphis Depay (Lyon) - Knee Injury

Memphis Depay
Memphis Depay

Memphis Depay has come a long way from the flamboyant youngster who flopped spectacularly at Manchester United and has started showing some of the promise he exhibited as a teenager at PSV.

The 26-year-old has enjoyed a new lease of life since transferring to Lyon after his ill-fated Old Trafford spell and has been one of the standout performers in Ligue 1 over the last two years.

His return of 39 goals and 27 assists from his last 85 league matches is indicative of his growing influence at the Stade Gerland. He has also been influential in Europe as he scored five goals in five matches in the group stage of the Champions League to help Les Gones progress to the knockout rounds behind RB Leipzig.

Rudi Garcia would, however, have to do without the services of Depay, as the winger has been ruled out with a knee injury that he sustained against Rennes in a league clash in December last year.

The injury is expected to keep him out for the rest of the season and even though he is stepping up his rehabilitation plan to make an earlier return, it is guaranteed that he would not be fit in time for their clash with Juventus.


Also Read: 5 youngsters to watch out for in the Champions League Round of 16

#4 Ousmane Dembele (Barcelona) - Torn Muscle

Ousmane Dembele
Ousmane Dembele

Ousmane Dembele was over the moon when he completed a mega transfer from Borussia Dortmund to Barcelona in the summer of 2017, with the Catalans signing him for a club-record fee as the ostensible replacement for Neymar.

The Frenchman had only been in Germany for one year, having signed from Rennes in 2016 but he was in for a whirlwind ride as he went from playing for the Ligue 1 outfit to playing with some of the best players in history in Catalunya.

However, his dream move soon turned into a nightmare as he suffered a major injury barely a month into his transfer and was ruled out for three months, as a result of which his first season at the Camp Nou was severely hampered. The 22-year-old is a quality player and has shown flashes of his brilliance on occasion but his development has been further obstructed by accusations of unprofessionalism.

After tests to his latest muscle setback, which he suffered at the start of February, Dembele was ruled out for the rest of the season. This means he has suffered no less than 10 major injuries since arriving at Barcelona, missing over 70 matches in the process, with the Catalan giants likely to consider alternatives in the summer.

The club have been given the go-ahead to sign an emergency replacement owing to special transfer rules in Spain that gives concessions to replace players who suffer long-term injuries after the end of the transfer window.


#3 Marco Reus (Borussia Dortmund) - Muscle injury

Marco Reus
Marco Reus

A case can be made to consider Marco Reus the biggest 'what if' player of his generation and true lovers of the game cannot help but wonder the heights he would have reached had he managed to stay injury-free.

On his day, the 30-year-old is one of the best midfielders in the world and only a handful of players possess his technique, shooting accuracy, and passing ability.

However, he has been severely hampered by injuries throughout his career and his susceptibility to persistent niggles and tears has seen him miss out on several important games, most jarringly the entire 2014 FIFA World Cup which Germany ended up winning.

The last year has been relatively stable for Reus and he has been able to string together several games at a stretch but he did suffer another setback at the start of February when he sustained a muscle problem.

The injury is expected to keep him out for one month and with a marquee clash coming up against PSG, Lucien Favre would have liked to tackle the French giants in the presence of his talisman and captain.


#2 Harry Kane (Tottenham) - Hamstring injury

Harry Kane
Harry Kane

Nobody encapsulates Tottenham Hotspur's transition from an average side in England into one of the top clubs in Europe better than Harry Kane.

Having been discarded earlier in his career, the 26-year-old has firmly established his reputation as one of the best strikers of his generation and his trajectory has matched his club's rise, with his goals playing a key role in getting Spurs to the top.

The England international is versatile in his game, scoring goals for fun and in all manners and to state that Tottenham are heavily dependent on him would merely be stating the obvious. As such, it would not be welcome news to fans of the club to realise that their star striker has become injury-prone over the last year.

Kane was ruled out for a total of three months last season and was barely fit in time for their Champions League final clash with Liverpool and he suffered another long-term injury in the 1-0 defeat to Southampton at the start of the year.

The injury is expected to sideline him for at least four months and even though Spurs have largely thrived in his absence, they would be counting the days until they can get back the services of their number 10.


#1 Luis Suarez (Barcelona) - Knee surgery

Luis Suarez
Luis Suarez

Having demonstrated his world-class abilities with his performances for Liverpool, Ajax, and the Uruguay national team, Luis Suarez transcended to new heights upon completing his transfer to Barcelona in the summer of 2014.

After initial struggles brought about by his ban for biting Giorgio Chiellini, the Salto native settled into his rhythm and helped the Blaugrana to a second treble in his first season, while his devastating partnership with Lionel Messi and Neymar is arguably the greatest attacking trident in the history of football.

It would not be an exaggeration to state that Suarez has been one of the best strikers of the last decade and proof of his greatness lies in the fact that he is the only player not named Ronaldo or Messi to have won a European Golden Shoe since 2008 (doing so on two occasions).

The former Liverpool man has been at the centre of heavy criticism of late but his ability is simply indisputable. However, the timing of his knee injury could not have come at a more inopportune time, with Barcelona entering the crunch stage of their LaLiga title defence as well as their quest for the Champions League.

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Edited by Rachel Syiemlieh