In just a few weeks the opening ceremony of Euro 2024 will be held in Germany. Here are 11 stars who will unfortunately be absent from biggest football event of Europe.
Goalkeeper: Thibaut Courtois (Belgium/Real Madrid)
Thibaut Courtois is undeniably one of the best goalkeepers in the world at the moment. However, a knee injury suffered during a recent training session with Real Madrid had ended his hopes of participating in the Euro 2024. During the 2023/24 season, the 32-year-old shot-stopper also missed the majority of Real Madrid’s matches due to several injuries.
Defender: David Alaba (Austria/Real Madrid)
Another star from Real Madrid. David Alaba suffered an ACL injury last December and had to miss the rest of the 2023/24 season. Recently, the Austrian player continued to have knee surgery. Therefore, he certainly will not recover in time for Euro 2024. But according to Relevo, Alaba will still fly to Germany this summer as a member of the Austrian team’s coaching staff.
Defender: Wesley Fofana (France/Chelsea)
Chelsea defender’s Wesley Fofana has not been selected for the France national team due to an ACL injury last summer. This led to the absence of “The Blues” no.33 in most of the 2023/24 season. Even if Fofana recovers in time, it will be difficult for the 23-year-old to compete with the stars that Didier Deschamps has in France’s squad.
Defender: Mats Hummels (Germany/Dortmund)
Hummels being snubbed is the most controversial case in the latest call-up of Germany national team. The veteran centre back was the MVP of both legs in the UEFA Champions League semi-finals against PSG this season, helping Dortmund reach the final earlier this month. In addition, Hummels also has extensive experience in international tournaments. However, Germany coach Julian Nagelsmann said he wants young players who can fit into the tactics he has built with the national team.
Defender: Ben White (England/Arsenal)
Ben White had numerous outstanding performances for Arsenal in the 2023/24 season. The 26-year-old is part of coach Gareth Southgate’s plan to be called up to the England national team. However, White disappointed many fans when he refused to join the team in the latest call-up. According to the British press, said White had a conflict with assistant coach Steve Holland. This is quite a pity in the context of the „Three Lions” lacking quality options at the full-back position.
Midfielder: Dejan Kulusevski (Sweden/Tottenham)
Kulusevski is currently one of the most impressive speedsters in the Premier League. However, the Tottenham star will have to watch the Euro 2024 via television. The reason is because Sweden performed poorly and could not qualify for EURO 2024. In group F, which included Belgium and Austria, Sweden only ranked 3rd with 10 points and failed to win a ticket to Germany this summer.
Midfielder: Sandro Tonali (Italy/Newcastle)
The most significant loss of the Italian at Euro 2024 is probably Sandro Tonali (Newcastle United). In October 2023, Tonali was banned from football for 10 months due to illegal betting. It will take until the end of August for the 24-year-old to finish his suspension.
Midfielder: Gavi (Spain/Barcelona)
Gavi suffered an ACL injury in the 3-1 victory of Spain over Georgia last November. This kept the Barcelona midfielder away from football for 9 months, thereby missing EURO 2024 and the Olympics held in Paris this summer. The Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) decided that Gavi will not be called up for international competition until next year whether he recovers or not.
Midfielder: Martin Odegaard (Norway/Arsenal)
Odegaard once again missed a major tournament. The Norway national team just finished third in Group A with 11 points, behind Spain and Scotland and was unable to qualify for the Euro 2024. This is an extremely unfortunate thing for Odegaard as this year marks the 10th anniversary of the Arsenal midfielder joining the national team.
Striker: Erling Haaland (Norway/ Man City)
Similar to Odegaard, Erling Haaland will have to watch Euro 2024 at home. In the qualifiers, the latest EPL Golden Boot winner was injured at the most important period and could not help his country qualify for the final round. The history of Norwegian football has never witnessed high-class players like Haaland and Odegaard. But unfortunately, the teammates around this duo do not have the same quality.
Striker: Alexander Isak (Sweden/Newcastle)
Isak is also a formidable striker in the Premier League. But like Haaland, the Newcastle’s striker cannot attend EURO 2024 because the Sweden national team failed to qualify. In the Euro qualifiers, Isak also disappointed the fans by only contributing 1 goal and 1 assist after 8 matches.
In addition, the list of notable stars who cannot attend Euro 2024 also includes Serge Gnabry, Marcus Rashford, Reece James, Raheem Sterling or Paul Pogba.
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