Some of the top football stars out of the football world cup due to Injuries
With a few days left before the start of the one of the most anticipated events of the year, World Cup Teams have already suffered a major blow to their campaign after losing some of their Key Players because of injuries.
Nigeria’s John Obi Mikel is one of the latest casualties in the upcoming World Cup. The 23-year old Nigerian was forced to withdraw because of a badly injured knee. He was just actually having his comeback practice after having a minor knee surgery.
His skills and strength will surely be missed by Nigeria, which is aiming to make a big statement in the biggest tournament in the world of soccer.
Nigerian Football Federation (NFF) spokesman Idah Peterside said that Mikel was already complaining about his ankle before they arrived in South Africa and his knee was aggravated during their practice sessions. He also added that Mikel also don’t know how he re-injured his knee and it wasn’t from a tackle with another player.
Netherlands will also need to make major adjustments after their forward Arjen Robben injured his hamstring and will most likely miss the entire tournament. The 26-year old Bayern Munich star pulled his hamstring during their 6-1 friendly match win against Hungary.
Dutch Coach Bert van Marwijk was visibly saddened by the unfortunate turn of events but he remains confident about their chances in the tournament. He’s also not ruling out the possibility of Robben’s return in the latter part of the World Cup.
“My first thought was this can’t be true, the end of the final warm-up match, everyone is fit and then this. We now have to wait. I can replace Robben until 24 hours before our opening match but as long as there is hope he recovers in time he will stay in the squad” Marwijk said.
Robben also remains optimistic after announcing that it was just a small tear in his left hamstring and he will do everything he can to help his team.
“We're going to work incredibly hard. I'm going to fight until I drop. The last 24 hours I have had so much support from all the people around me and that had a positive effect on me. After the injury I went to the locker room for a first diagnosis which was very difficult. But it was clear that it wasn't good because I had a lot of pain. “He said.
Ivory Coast’s campaign also suffered a major setback after their striker Didier Drogba broke his arm after colliding with Japan’s Marcus Tulio Tanaka in their friendly. He immediately underwent a surgery and the Netherlands’ all-time leading scorer will likely be available if the Elephants will go deep into the tournament.
"His recovery has been extremely encouraging. It is suggested that, at this stage, all the signs are good and there is great hope the captain of the Elephants will be in action with his teammates as soon as possible.” Netherlands’ Spokesman Roger Kouassi said.
Ghana’s midfielder Michael Essien will also missed the World Cup because of a knee injury he sustained in African Cup of Nations tournament last January. He tried to comeback and actually trained with the team but his injury is not yet fully-healed.
England’s Rio Ferdinand will join his teammate David Beckham in the sideline after sustaining a knee injuring his knee in their practice after arriving in South Africa. England Superstar Beckham will also not play in this year’s World Cup because an ACL injury.
United States defender Oguchi Onyewu is also questionable for the World Cup. He had a knee surgery after tearing his left patella tendon in a qualifying match against Costa Rica. He will be suiting up but it remains to be seen how much playing time he will have.
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