Top 10 injured absentees at Euro 2020 you need to know about

These players have been ruled out of the continental tournament.

After a year's delay, UEFA Euro 2020 finally kicks-off in Rome with the Turkey Vs Italy clash on Friday. On the back of a busy season, international fixtures have dealt with issues like injuries and COVID-19 infections inside bio-bubble throughout the 2020/21 season.The European Championship will be the biggest international tournament this year. It will be telecasted in over 150 countries. But several key players will miss out on their national duties. Here are ten absentees, who we think could’ve been integral to their respective teams.

10. Stefano Sensi (Italy)

Inter Milan midfielder Stefano Sensi is out of the Italy squad for Euro 2020 due to a groin injury. Sensi has had an impressive spell, both individually and collectively under Antonio Conte, after moving to Inter from Sassuolo in 2019. The 25-year-old picked up the injury during Milan’s training session before their last league match of the 2020/21 domestic campaign.

Sensi earned eight caps for the national side, with the last one being as recent as March. Despite the injury, coach Roberto Mancini included the midfielder in the squad. But, Sensi has since been ruled out and replaced by Atalanta's Matteo Pessina.

9. Dominik Szoboszlai (Hungary)

Ever since his emergence at RB Salzburg, Dominik Szoboszlai has been one of the most talked-about midfielders in Europe. The 20-year-old, currently at RB Leipzig, scored in the last minute of the Euro 2020 Qualifying Playoff match against Iceland to help Hungary to the finals.

However, the Hungarian national team will be without Szoboszlai in just their fourth European campaign. The youngster sustained a foot injury after moving to Leipzig in the winter. Despite making it into the provisional squad, the youngster “is not in a good shape to play” as per Hungarian national team manager Marco Rossi. 

8. Arkadiusz Milik (Poland) 

Arkadiusz Milik withdrew from the Polish squad following a meniscus tear. The 27-year-old, currently on loan at Marseille from Napoli, netted nine goals in 15 appearances in Ligue 1 this season. 

Poland will be missing an experienced campaigner in Milik, who has 70 caps since his debut in 2012. The side have not called up a replacement yet, despite already losing Krzysztof Piatek due to a broken ankle.  

7. Donny van de Beek (Netherlands)

His first season at Manchester United was not up to expectations, with the midfielder struggling for minutes after his move from Ajax. Despite playing the full 90 minutes in United’s last league fixture, Donny van de Beek did not recover in time to make it to the European Championship. As a result, the midfielder has withdrawn from the Dutch side.In response, head coach Frank de Boer has not called up any replacements in place of Van de Beek. Returning after back-to-back qualification failures, the Oranje will start their campaign against Ukraine on Sunday. 

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6. Joe Gomez (England) 

Joe Gomez will miss Euro 2020 due to an injury that he suffered during international duty. Gomez’s injury significantly affected Liverpool, as the defending champions slumped to a third-place finish.

Gomez has collected 11 caps for the senior England team. He can play as a centre-back and also as a full-back. He is currently training with Virgil van Dijk after successful surgery in November.

5. Ansu Fati (Spain)

After becoming Spain’s youngest-ever goalscorer at 17, Ansu Fati was seen as an important player for Spain at Euro 2020. The 18-year-old looked to be an undisputed starter and a crucial part of Spain’s attack under Luis Enrique.However, he's been out since November after tearing his meniscus against Real Betis. Fati will now have to wait longer to play at a major international competition.

4. Marc-Andre ter Stegen (Germany)

Marc-Andre ter Stegen’s role in the national team has been confined to the bench due to the presence of Manuel Neuer. Despite being a regular at FC Barcelona, Ter Stegen has only managed 25 caps since debuting for Germany in 2012.

However, the Barcelona goalkeeper played a fair share of minutes during Germany’s UEFA Nations League campaign. Ter Stegen will miss the tournament after opting to go for surgery to treat a patellar tendon injury. In his absence, Bernd Leno and Kevin Trapp will be Neuer's deputies throughout the tournament. 

3. Trent Alexander-Arnold (England)

The Liverpool defender was initially part of the England squad for Euro 2020. But, he has been ruled out due to an injury. Trent Alexander-Arnold suffered an injury just eight days prior to the tournament in a friendly against Austria. While Gareth Southgate has no trouble finding another right-back, Alexander-Arnold’s injury will be a huge one considering his set-piece abilities.Ben White has been called up as his replacement. The squad already consists of Reece James, Kyle Walker and Kieran Trippier fighting for the right-back position.

2. Virgil van Dijk (Netherlands) 

Virgil van Dijk’s injury early in the season was a major cause of Liverpool’s defensive collapse. He will be a major miss for the Netherlands. After suffering an injury in October against Everton, Van Dijk is yet to return to the pitch. An ACL tear meant Van Dijk had to undergo surgery, further delaying his recovery before the European Championship.

The 29-year-old confirmed his absence in May. Frank de Boer’s side will have a new partner for Matthijs de Ligt following Van Dijk’s absence. 

1. Zlatan Ibrahimovic (Sweden) 

Zlatan Ibrahimovic came out of international retirement after he was called by Sweden manager Janne Andersson to be part of the Euro 2020 squad. But, the 39-year-old suffered a knee injury in May, which has ruled him out of the tournament.

Ibrahimovic led AC Milan to a second-place finish and ushered them back into the Champions League with an incredible individual season. He scored 15 goals in 19 domestic appearances.

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