'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
In just about eight months from now, the stage will be set for football's biggest tournament of all - the 2022 FIFA World Cup.
The majority of the 32-team line-up will be confirmed within a few days, bringing World Cup qualification to a close. Qatar will host the 2022 World Cup. The competition will be staged for the first time in the Middle East.
Getting into your national side's roster at the World Cup is a dream for any footballer, let alone playing and lifting the coveted trophy. With a plethora of competition among players within their respective countries, there come many chances when a talented player doesn't find his place in the squad.
In this article, we will look at five such players who, owing to their poor form or struggles with injuries, are likely to not get a nod for their national sides at the 2022 FIFA World Cup.
#5. Roberto Firmino (Brazil)
Once undroppable for both club and country, Roberto Firmino is seemingly less important to Jurgen Klopp and Tite these days. Injuries have held him back this season but the Brazilian attacker's output has gradually declined over the last four years.
With Diego Jota's emergence as one of the Premier League's best forwards at Anfield, sustaining a regular starting spot is far from easy. Firmino has been left out of Brazil's last two squads in the World Cup Qualifying stages despite being fit to play.
With Matthew Cunha and Rafinha recently breaking into the national setup, and more experienced players like Philippe Coutinho also coming back, the Seleção forward line is stacked.
Tite, who is hoping to end a 20-year wait for football's ultimate prize, is feeling the pressure to pick the right players. Despite Everton's recent struggles, Richarlison made the latest squad and even scored in a 4-0 win over Chile on Friday.
With Gabriel Jesus also not making the cut, Firmino's prospects don't look particularly bright right now.
#4. Fabian Ruiz (Spain)
Rarely is there space in the Spanish midfield. While the production of top-class central operators did slow down during the 2010s, La Roja once again have a plethora of talent in the middle of the park. The emergence of teenage prodigies Pedri and Gavi has spiced up the midfield, with Thiago Alcantara not even making the squad since Euro 2020.
Napoli star Fabian Ruiz has also suffered the same fate and may well be less likely than Thiago to work his way back into Luis Enrique's plans ahead of Qatar.
In November 2021, reports emerged that Ruiz had fallen out of favor with the coach due to his inability to follow tactical instructions. It is something that could prove fatal for his hopes of going to the tournament.
However, considering he is enjoying his finest season yet in Serie A, Enrique could miss a trick by leaving out the 25-year old. Ruiz has a total of nine goals and assists this term. Winning the Scudetto may make the former Roma boss sit up and take notice. But otherwise, it is going to be tough for Ruiz to win his place back in the national setup.
#3. Marcus Rashford (England)
It is no secret that Marcus Rashford has been far from his best this season. With Jadon Sancho now preferred to him on the left flank, he is no longer an automatic starter at Manchester United.
Almost half of Rashford's appearances have come off the bench this term. He's contributing to a goal every 156 minutes, 45 minutes more from his superb 2019-20 season. The 24-year old is currently creating less than a chance per 90 for the first time in his career.
While doubts over his future at Old Trafford have only increased, it seems the back and shoulder injuries he sustained over the last two years have stunted his development. Moreover, the English forward hasn't played a competitive game for the Three Lions since October 2020.
With Raheem Sterling, Bukayo Saka, Phil Foden, Jack Grealish and Sancho all firmly ahead of him in the England pecking order, Rashford is in serious danger of missing out on the next World Cup.
#2. Donny Van de Beek (Netherlands)
Like Rashford, Donny Van de Beek hasn't started for his national team competitively in almost 18 months. He recently moved to Everton on loan in order to boost his chances of working his way back into the Dutch setup.
But despite playing all but one game for the Toffees since making his switch, the midfielder hasn't even made the provisional squad for the Oranje's ongoing fixtures. Manager Louis Van Gaal had previously stated that Van de Beek made the wrong choice by signing for Manchester in 2020. Van Gaal told the 24-year old last summer that he needed to be playing more to get picked for the national side.
With more in-form players like Ryan Gravenberch and Teun Koopmeiners, who have played in Europe this term providing the competition, Van de Beek really needs to impress Van Gaal for any chance of making Qatar. Right now, it doesn't look likely.
#1. Ansu Fati (Spain)
Ansu Fati would've just turned 20 by the the World Cup kicks off in November. He burst onto the scene as a 16-year old back in 2019 and became Barcelona's youngest debutant since 1941. He even broke records in both La Liga and the Champions League.
By 2022, it was expected that he'd be a regular fixture for the Spain side. Had it not been for a torrid deal with injuries, he probably would have been. At the start of the 2021 season, he even outshone Lionel Messi as Barcelona's talisman in the final third.
Fati was also handed his international debut by Luis Enrique before a knee injury that was initially meant to keep him out for four months. However, it ended up seeing him miss almost a year of action. Multiple injury setbacks have followed this term, meaning that since last season, he has made just nine starts in La Liga.
Yet to feature for Spain since 2020, Fati faces a physical and psychological battle to both stay fit and retain the fearlessness that made him one of Europe's most exciting young players. If he can do so, then a place at the World Cup is not out of reach. But, considering the struggles, it is very much a race against time.
