Fans who just cannot get enough of football action will be happy that there are two major tournaments after the end of the current season. As domestic leagues wrap up their campaigns and also the knockout competitions, two continents will have their own tournaments – the Copa America and Euro 2016.
Euro is arguably the more popular tournament and the most-watched international tournament after the FIFA World Cup. With an all-new format, the 15th edition of the tournament will now see 24 teams taking part as it kicks off in France in the second week of June.
But a number of players are, sadly, already ruled out of the quadrennial tournament. In fact, there are enough top players to form a combined team. (No, we’re not talking about Netherlands here)
Formation: 3-5-2
Goalkeeper
While four goalkeepers are vying for the Premier League Golden Glove award this season, Stoke City’s Jack Butland could have been on the list had he not suffered an injury on international duty in March. In England’s 3-2 win over Germany, the 23-year-old shot-stopper had to be stretchered off after he fractured his ankle.
The injury saw him require a surgery that ruled him out for at least three months; effectively the end of June before he could even step on the pitch, let alone start training and get back to full fitness and match sharpness.
“I don't think it (Euro 2016) is going to be an option for me now, to be honest.” Butland had said. “Because I won't be able to play again between now and the end of the season.”
It was also a huge blow for the Potters who were flying high in the top half of the table before his injury. Stats also showed Butland to be right up there with Joe Hart and Petr Cech in the EPL.
Defence
While Chelsea were having a disastrous start to the Premier League season as defending champions, two players still shone through with their class. One was Willian and the other was Kurt Zouma. The young French defender was putting in performances to be remembered while the rest of the defence fell apart around him.
The 21-year-old suffered an injury to his anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) during a 1-1 draw with Manchester United in February. The defender had gone up for a header and landed awkwardly on his leg which buckled at a nightmarish and unnatural angle, leaving him screaming as he lay prone on the pitch.
Zouma required a surgery and was set to be sidelined for at least six months.
Another Premier League centre-back who makes the list is Manchester City captain Vincent Kompany. The Belgian defender has had a traumatic season with injury cutting short his game time on a number of occasions, forcing Manuel Pellegrini to make early substitutions, sometimes within the first 15 minutes.
Having managed only 13 league starts, City have struggled and stumbled along the way as they look to secure a top-four finish. With Kompany in the side, they have looked like worthy challengers. Without him, they have leaked goals at the back.
“I'll miss the Euros. To me that's very sad news,” Kompany said on Facebook. “So I could be standing here, feeling sorry for myself. I fear for my career as others may do.”
The third defender in this lineup is Manchester United’s Luke Shaw. The full-back stormed back into contention in Louis van Gaal’s squad this season after a rigorous training routine saw him build his fitness and had started the season very well.
That was until a horrific injury at PSV Eindhoven saw a rash tackle break the Englishman’s leg in half. Shaw was ruled out for the rest of the season as a result. Although he has returned to training, he is yet to return to full-time action and lacks the fitness or sharpness to play for England in Euro.
Midfield
Italy will be without one of their brightest prospects at Euro 2016 with Marco Verratti sidelined for the summer tournament. The Paris Saint-Germain man was instrumental in helping his club wrap up the Ligue 1 title in March, even though he was out of action between February and April.
A groin injury will see him miss the final stages of the season, the French Cup final and the Euros. The Azzurri midfielder, who many consider to be Andrea Pirlo’s heir, will have a surgery which will keep him out of action for eight weeks.
If that wasn’t bad news enough for Italy, they will also be without Claudio Marchisio. The Juventus midfielder was yet another victim of a knee injury that saw him tear his ligaments in a game against Palermo in April. Although he had a successful surgery, the 30-year-old Italian will be out for six months.
While Germany still sweat over the fitness of captain Bastian Schweinsteiger, they will certainly be without the services of Ilkay Gundogan. The Borussia Dortmund midfielder dislocated his kneecap in training and the club confirmed that he was out for the rest of the season and would also miss Euro 2016.
The injury also throws a spanner in the works with respect to his proposed transfer to Manchester City. Pep Guardiola is said to have been interested in bringing him to the Etihad but the injury may see him think twice before signing the German international.
Russia will be without Denis Cheryshev for Euro after he was ruled out with a thigh injury. The 25-year-old, on loan at Valencia from Real Madrid, suffered the injury in a game against Atletico Madrid back in March. Although he returned to the squad, he suffered a recurrence of the injury again in a defeat to Villarreal.
A surgery will see Cheryshev ruled out of Euro as he returns to Madrid for his rehabilitation under the watchful eye of the club’s medical department.
Arsenal’s injury crisis is a story that refuses to die every season and the latest player to suffer a long-term injury was young Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain. Yet another victim of a knee injury, the English winger had damaged his knee when the Gunners played Barcelona in the Champions League.
While the match took place in February and there was hope of a return, manager Arsene Wenger confirmed that the 22-year-old would only be back by July. "There is no chance," Wenger said of his chances of making England’s squad.
Strikers
Arsenal and England’s worst fears were confirmed when Danny Welbeck was ruled out of Euro and a major chunk of next season with a knee injury. The English striker suffered the injury in the crunch game against Manchester City while going in for a tackle on Bacary Sagna. Unable to walk it off, he headed straight down the tunnel.
The club confirmed that he had suffered “significant cartilage damage” and the 25-year-old required surgery on his knee. The recovery period is expected to be nine months and comes as s huge blow since he had returned to the squad only in February following an injury that had kept him sidelined since last May.
The other striker is the only player on this team not injured at the moment but is already out of contention. France's Karim Benzema has been left out of the squad altogether following the legal case involving the blackmailing of his national teammate Mathieu Valbuena.
Benzema had tried to blackmail Valbuena over an alleged sex-tape, although Benzema denied trying to blackmail him even though evidence pointed to the contrary. However, France coach Didier Deschamps and the president of the France Football Federation Noel Le Graet consulted the French sports minister who opposed the selection of Benzema on the grounds of ‘human values’.
