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With the UEFA Euros 2020 fast approaching, players will be desperately trying to avoid any injury concerns ahead of the summer competition. However, several players have already been ruled out of the tournament due to the severity of their injuries. Memphis Depay, for example, will be a huge miss for a Netherlands side going into the tournament in superb form. But this form may be affected by the absence of Depay who scored 6 goals and assisted 7 in the qualifiers leading up to the tournament.
Depay's absence may leave the Netherlands with a lack of goals, with the likes of Ryan Babel relied upon to replace the threat of the Lyon man. And it's not just the Dutch who will miss players due to injuries this summer but also the likes of Italy and maybe even England. Both Harry Kane and Marcus Rashford are facing a large chunk of the season on the sidelines and are looking to return in time for the Euros.
On that note, here are 5 players who could miss the European championship later this year, owing to injury problems.
Jetro Willems
Jetro Willems endured a career-reviving loan spell at Newcastle United before a devastating injury in January. He was perhaps in the plans of Netherlands manager Ronald Koeman as well. However, due to the injury, Willems has been ruled out of the summer competition and could even miss the start of next season after sustaining the cruciate ligament injury.
The injury will frustrate Koeman who has already seen two players forced to drop out of the Euros due to injury. Although Willems may not have been in their starting plans, the left-back would have provided a solid option off the bench in the 24-team tournament.
Ronald Koeman will be hoping that the likes of Patrick van Aanholt and Nathan Ake have the ability to make up for the absence of Willems, as the Netherlands look for success in the tournament. With potential Premier League champions like Virgil van Dijk and Gini Wijnaldum in the side, anything is possible for the Dutchmen who are looking to win their first trophy since 1988.
Niklas Sule
After suffering the same fate as Memphis Depay on Matchday 8 of the Bundesliga season, Niklas Sule will likely miss the Euros in the summer and therefore miss the tournament with Germany. The defender's absence has been a major blow for Bayern Munich this season who have struggled defensively for large parts of the campaign which has seen the Bundesliga title race become more competitive than ever.
The Bundesliga champions have missed the German's ability on the ball and aerial dominance with a passing accuracy of 94% and an aerial duel success rate of 81%, making him one of the most accomplished defenders in the Bundesliga. It's Sule's calmness on the ball that Germany will potentially miss the most in the summer when they are forced to break down low block defensive shapes and the absence of the former Hoffenheim man could see them struggle to do this as well as dominate in the air.
What's more is that a lack of leadership at the back could cost Germany who will be eager to make up for an early exit in the 2018 World Cup by going all the way in the summer tournament.
Memphis Depay
After suffering an ACL injury in December whilst playing for Lyon, Memphis Depay has been ruled out for the 2020 Euros and maybe even the start of the next season due to the severity of his injury. This leaves Ronald Koeman with a dearth of strikers ahead of the Netherlands' first Euros campaign since 2012 after they failed to qualify in 2016.
However, without a player like Depay who is often the creator within the Dutch side, the team may struggle to perform at their best and face the possibility of an earlier exit than expected. Players that could replace the Lyon man includes Donyell Malen who has scored 17 goals in the Eredivisie this season, making him the perfect candidate to replace the injured Depay and propel the Netherlands towards Euro 2020 glory.
What's more, Depay also possesses a unique dribbling ability which often sees the Lyon forward create something out of nothing, a trait that will be a major miss for the Netherlands at the Euros where they may lack a creative spark with the absence of Depay.
John McGinn
After suffering a broken ankle in December, John McGinn will not only miss the qualifying stages for Scotland but also the Euros if they progress. This will be a major blow for the Scotts, who will miss one of their best players which may see them fail to qualify. The Aston Villa midfielder has proven himself on countless occasions this season which has seen him score 3 goals and assist two in his debut season in the Premier League.
Since the injury to McGinn, Aston Villa have suffered significantly, dropping down to 17th and one point away from the relegation zone, and haven't been able to replace the Scotsman's tenacity in midfield. This is something that Scotland may also struggle to replace the likes of Scott McTominay would be among his potential replacements ahead of the summer.
The injury also means that McGinn will miss the trip to Wembley and therefore the Carabao Cup final against Manchester City where Aston Villa will play the role of the underdogs in their first appearance at the iconic stadium since last season's Championship Playoff final.
Nicolo Zaniolo
After an excellent breakthrough season at Roma this season, Nicolo Zaniolo would have been hoping to make an even bigger impact at the Euros in the summer. However, the ACL injury he suffered last month has put an untimely end to Zaniolo's Euro aspirations with the midfielder now set to miss the competition.
This will be a major blow for Roberto Mancini's Italian side who will need all the attacking firepower they can get ahead of their first tournament since 2016 after failing to qualify for the 2018 World Cup. Adding to this, Mancini will now look to replace Zaniolo with the likes of Nicolo Barella and Lorenzo Pellegrini who would both be formidable replacements for the injured Roma man, albeit of different natures.
What's more, Zaniolo has highlighted on several occasions this season his ability to score with the youngster netting 6 goals and assisting 2 in a successful Serie A campaign. And it's his goalscoring threat from midfield which will be the hardest to replace ahead of the Euros in the summer for Italy who will be desperate for triumph in the competition.
To conclude, despite the absence of several players ahead of the competition, the Euros looks set to be yet another international tournament filled with drama and unforgettable action as we look to crown a new continental winner.
