Euro 2024 is almost here, with managers required to submit their final squads by the end of June 7 – but one of the factors outside of their control is the availability of injured players.
There are always talented stars who are robbed of a major tournament appearance with injury and 2024 is no exception.
We’ve put together an impressive XI who are ruled out of this summer’s finals, lining up in a 4-2-3-1 formation.
GK: Thibaut Courtois (Belgium)
Courtois says he will support Belgium at Euro 2024 despite not being selected for the squad – and insisting he is ‘100 per cent’ fit.
The Real Madrid goalkeeper missed most of the 2023-24 season with an ACL injury, but returned in time to play in the Champions League final.
Despite this, Belgium boss Domenico Tedesco omitted the 32-year-old from his squad. The Italian-German coach previously said he was ‘focusing on players who are in good shape’ and also fell out with Courtois over an argument about the captaincy last year.
“Now is not the time to talk about that,’ Courtois told AS when asked about his absence from this summer’s tournament in Germany.
“Of course, I will support my country and my team-mates here [at Real Madrid] to death, hoping they all have a great Euros.”
RB: Jurrien Timber (Netherlands)
Despite missing almost the entirety of the 2023-24 campaign, Timber was still a surprise omission from the Netherlands squad.
The 22-year-old Arsenal defender is back in training, but Ronald Koeman clearly thought it was unwise to take the defender across the border this summer.
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CB: Caglar Soyuncu (Turkey)
Turkey will be looking to atone for their generational flop at Euro 2020 – three games, three defeats for the supposed dark horses last time around – but Soyuncu won’t have any part of their redemption mission.
The former Leicester defender, who now plays for Fenerbahce on loan from Atletico Madrid, will miss the finals with a hamstring tear.
CB: Giorgio Scalvini (Italy)
Seen as the next great Italian defender, Scalvini helped Atalanta win the Europa League and hopes were high that he’d blossom on the international stage this summer.
But the 20-year-old ruptured his ACL in the last Serie A match of the season and was instantly ruled out Italy’s title defence.
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LB: David Alaba (Austria)
Alaba was left out of Austria’s provisional Euro 2024 squad, but the injured Real Madrid defender will accompany the team to Germany as a ‘non-playing captain,’ the Austrian Football Federation said.
The defender, who played in two of Austria’s previous Euros appearances in 2016 and 2020, picked up a major knee injury last December.
“It is a great shame of course that he isn’t available to us as a player. Over the last weeks I’ve have had close exchanges with David. He stressed he wanted very much to still be with us,” Austria manager Ralf Rangnick said.
“Therefore, I am very happy to say this will be possible after a good discussion with his club Real Madrid.”
CM: Boubacar Kamara (France)
Another player to suffer an ACL injury – it’s almost like footballers are being asked to play too many matches at such high intensity – Kamara won’t be part of France’s attempt to win their first Euros since 2000.
The Aston Villa midfielder may only have been a squad player for Les Bleus, but would walk into the XI of several other leading countries – including England.
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CM: Gavi (Spain)
Gavi was a bright spark in Spain’s flatter-to-deceive-masterclass at the 2022 World Cup, but suffered a serious knee injury last November and won’t be back in action for Barcelona until October 2024.
“He says it was not the knock but that he trod badly and his knee went,” Spain coach Luis de la Fuente said after the 19-year-old left the pitch in tears against Georgia.
“He’s [emotionally] broken, destroyed.”
RW: Domenico Berardi (Italy)
Another important absentee for Italy – who are also missing Destiny Udogie, Nicolo Zaniolo and Francesco Acerbi – Berardi won’t travel to Germany after being ruled out with an Achilles injury.
Placed in a group with Spain, Croatia and Albania, Italy might be in trouble of falling at the first hurdle. But Luciano Spalletti is a brilliant manager at international level and the Azzurri often perform better when written off.
CAM: Lewis Ferguson (Scotland)
Since leaving Aberdeen for Bologna in the summer of 2022 in a deal worth around £3million, Ferguson has been a revelation with his form earning him a contract extension and the club captaincy.
Whilst Bologna qualified for next season’s Champions League, the attacking midfielder has been out since March after becoming the latest casualty of the ACL epidemic.
His absence from this summer’s Euros is a huge blow to Scotland and their manager Steve Clarke – not many Scots have flourished on the continent in Ferguson’s vein.
LW: Serge Gnabry (Germany)
Gnabry is undoubtedly one of the biggest names to miss out on this year’s tournament.
The Bayern Munich winger won’t be playing for Germany on home soil after a hamstring injury meant the pacey wide man had to drop out of Julian Nagglesmann’s plans when he was a no-brainer for selection.
ST: Lyndon Dykes (Scotland)
Look, we struggled for top-class strikers. But Dykes has been integral to Scotland’s recent renaissance with his clever hold-up play and nine goals in 36 internationals.
Sadly for the QPR forward, he has been ruled out of Euro 2024 after an ankle injury picked up in training on the eve of the tournament.
“We are all really disappointed for Lyndon,” said Clarke. “The boys that got injured earlier get a little bit more time to get over it. Lyndon’s is right at the last minute before we go to the tournament.
“It was an ankle injury. No contact, just the way he landed, the way he fell on it. It happens, unfortunately. Earlier in the session, Lyndon made a similar movement and nothing happened. It’s just the way it is.
“You have to be quite resilient as a coach, a manager and a player and realise things move forward, and that’s what we have done.”
