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The FIFA World Cup 2022 has a lot of firsts attached to it. The Middle East will witness the tournament on their own turf for the first time in history, and European football will be on pause, unprecedentedly, during the month of November and December to accommodate the event being held outside its traditional summer window.
The Qatari-hosted event is brushed by the unfamiliarness, not limited to place and time. Fixture congestion due to an unusual international schedule has led to an increased injury rate and not enough time for players to recover, forcing them to tread thin ice of commitment to club results and ambition to appear in football's pinnacle meet.
As we get closer to the World Cup, any kind of injury setback has become a nightmare for players. The likes of Paul Pogba, Diogo Jota, and Ronald Araujo are already out of the competition, while many others are sweating over their fitness with the grand kick-off less than three weeks away.
Here are five big-name stars who face a race against time to be fit and ready to help their respective nations to glory.
Reece James - England
Up until a few weeks ago, Gareth Southgate had an abundance of right-backs at his disposal, so much so that Trent Alexander-Arnold's place in England's 26-man squad wasn't certain.
However, an injury to James - Southgate's first-choice right-back - has destabilized England's entire right flank. With Kyle Walker already a doubt, the Chelsea man could've slotted in as the right-sided centre-back in the back three as well.
James limped off against AC Milan in early October with a knee injury and is currently undergoing rehabilitation.
Plan B:
Kieran Trippier was benched against both Italy and Germany during the latest round of Nations League fixtures. But he's now the favorite to take James' place at right-back ahead of Alexander-Arnold due to the latter's defensive deficiencies.
Romelu Lukaku - Belgium
Lukaku, the Chelsea star currently on loan at Inter, is battling fitness issues ahead of Belgium's opener against Iran on November 15.
The Belgian striker made a comeback from a two-month injury lay-off against Viktoria Plzen in the Champions League before pulling his hamstring again in a 3-0 win over Sampdoria. Lukaku will be reassessed in a few days.
Plan B:
Speaking to Nieuwsblad last week, Roberto Martinez said Lukaku is irreplaceable and his absence would force Belgium to change their playing style.
Leandro Trossard, who has so far competed with Eden Hazard in midfield at international level, could be shifted to a more advanced role to fill Lukaku's void. Brighton and Hove Albion's versatile forward has scored seven Premier League goals this season. He played as the sole striker against Chelsea and scored the opening goal in a 4-1 win over the weekend.
Richarlison - Brazil
Having started the last two Brazil games as a number nine, Richarlison was expected to keep his place in Qatar as well. But a calf-strain against his former club Everton in mid-October threw his hopes of leading Brazil's line in jeopardy.
Richarlison wasn't part of Tottenham Hotspur's squad that traveled to France for their Champions League tie against Olympique de Marseille on Tuesday and could lose his place to other in-form goalscorers with Tite's squad announcement fast approaching.
Plan B:
The Brazilians are blessed with plenty of strikers. Gabriel Jesus, Roberto Firmino, and others are all in fine form for their respective clubs, and could comfortably replace Richarlison if called upon.
Giovani Lo Celso - Argentina
Brazil's South American rivals and one of the competition's favorites; Argentina have been handed a late injury scare. Lo Celso suffered an injury while playing for Villarreal in La Liga at the weekend.
The Spurs loanee has formed a tenacious midfield alongside Rodrigo De Paul and Leandro Paredes and his absence could prove to be a huge blow to Lionel Messi's World Cup dream.
Lo Celso will be assessed further, but as things stand, it will be very difficult for the midfielder to be available in time.
Plan B:
Enzo Fernandez has little experience under his belt for Argentina and brings different traits to Lo Celso.
But considering his immense performances for Benfica in the Champions League, Fernandez might not only get into Lionel Scaloni's starting XI but may prove to be one of Argentina's standout players at the grandest stage.
Raphael Varane - France
The Frenchman left the field in tears following an injury at Stamford Bridge on October 23. Subsequent updates regarding the hamstring injury have been positive.
But, Varane will not be available for Manchester United before the competition, and is currently undergoing rehabilitation at France's Clairefontaine.
Plan B:
France are already light in midfield following Pogba and N'Golo Kanté's injury blows, and will now enter the tournament with an uncertain backline.
Wesley Fofana is already out, and the absence of his most experienced defender in Varane will force Didier Deschamps to place his trust in youngsters Dayot Upamecano and William Saliba in Qatar.
Alternatively, he could go back to using his 4-2-3-1 formation to partner one of Upamecano or Saliba alongside Lucas Hernandez.
The system could also compensate for Pogba's creativity (in 3-4-1-2) through the inclusion of an extra attacker.
