The timing of this year’s World Cup has been labelled “an absolute disgrace” by former England international Jamie Carragher, with several players set to miss the tournament through injury.
A growing list of stars have already been ruled out and more face a race against the clock to be fit, mainly due to the face that the showpiece tournament has been carved into a short window in the middle of the European club season.
The decision to play the tournament during the host nation’s winter has also caused problems for players.
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FIFA and the host nation initially said the tournament would be played in the region’s summer, which would have given players ample time to recover from niggling injuries. However, playing in Qatar in the summer was not viable for the players with temperatures routinely hitting 45 degrees or more.
So they moved it to the winter season which gives players little time between playing for their club sides and then joining their international squads.
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“I think it’s an absolute disgrace the World Cup is in the position that it’s in for lots of reasons,” Carragher told CBS Sports.
“It was corrupt that Qatar were given the World Cup, we knew that at the time.
“They campaigned on having it in the summer, it was impossible to have a World Cup in the summer with the temperature. It gets moved to where it is now in the middle of the season.
“Players from all around Europe and the world could get injured in the next couple of weeks. (French star Raphael) Varane was crying coming off the pitch at Stamford Bridge, that’s how close we are to a World Cup.
“A 10-day or two-week injury is going to keep players out of a World Cup, which should not be happening. And it all starts with FIFA giving them the World Cup in the first place and then moving it.
“The stuff that goes on in their country is a completely different issue, but I think it’s absolutely disgusting.”
The Socceroos are among a host of teams to experience injury problems, with the latest round of English Premier League games throwing up some curveballs for England especially.
Most players competing in the EPL have three games between now and the World Cup.
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It’s understood some players have started to decrease intensity in club training sessions, to keep themselves fresher for the game’s marquee event.
“Normally, a two-week injury should allow you at the end of the season, if you miss the last two weeks of the season, you have 20 days to prepare,” Arsenal great Thierry Henry said.
“This time, on the last game of the season (before the break) … then suddenly the World Cup starts.
“It doesn’t give you any chance for you to recover if you get injured.”
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