Football fans all over the world continue to anticipate the European Championship this June as the best players adorn the beautiful colors of their national teams. As the tournament draws closer, the demand for Euro 2024 tickets continues to surge as spectators hope to catch the live action in Germany.
It will be an exciting affair, with the vets and up-and-comers vying for legacy-defining moments. Unfortunately, we won’t be seeing some of the biggest names in football this summer due to injury, a big blow for the countries they represent. From proven championship-caliber players to some of the brightest young talents in the game, these are the top injured absentees at the Euros this summer:
Gavi
Spain will miss Gavi’s creativity, energy, and sheer maturity with the ball in midfield when they take on the likes of Croatia and Italy in a tough Group B. Only 19 years old, the Barça youngster has risen through the ranks to become one of Spain’s best and most important players.
Gavi sustained a season-ending injury in a needless tie against Georgia in November and was forced out of the game in the 26th minute, needing a stretcher. It was confirmed by FC Barcelona that the La Masia forward suffered “a complete tear of the anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee and an associated injury to the lateral meniscus.”
Gavi has since missed all of Barcelona’s 36 matches and is expected to return on June 30, during the start of the Euro 2024 knockout rounds. While he might be fit enough to play for La Roja if they make it past the group stage, risking him after a long spell on the sidelines could be costly. Spain has instead opted to prioritize his long-term fitness, given how big of a star he has the potential to become in the future.
Serge Gnabry
Serge Gnabry sustained an injury during Bayern Munich’s second-leg Champions League semi-final tie against Real Madrid and will have to watch from the stands as his country hosts the Euros next month. The winger has been lauded for his burst of pace and technical finishes and would undoubtedly have made Julian Nagelsmann’s squad.
An important component of Germany’s offense, Gnabry has endured an injury-laden campaign this season, playing only 20 games for Bayern Munich and has yet to represent Germany since the 2022 FIFA World Cup. The 28-year-old is set to return to fitness on July 15, the day after the conclusion of the Euros, and will not be adding to his 45 national team appearances this summer.
David Alaba
Former Manchester United boss Ralf Rangnick has transformed the Austrian National Team, leading them to another European Championship tournament. However, he will be without his captain and biggest star, David Alaba.
Widely considered one of the best defenders of his generation, the Real Madrid centre-back suffered a similar injury to Gavi, tearing his ACL when Real Madrid played Villarreal in mid-December. The 31-year-old has missed 32 games for Los Blancos and will be a no-show when they take on Dortmund in the Champions League final on June 1.
His return date is set for July 31, making him unavailable for the Euros. But he will be travelling with the Austrian team regardless, as a member of their backroom staff.
Sven Botman
No team suffered from the fitness of their key pieces in the EPL more than Newcastle United and the Netherlands’ Sven Botman was one of the players to be hit with the injury bug this season.
The 24-year-old defender has been out since March 20 when he suffered a torn ACL in a 2-0 loss against Manchester City. His latest setback comes after he suffered an ankle injury in August and a knee injury in September that caused him to miss 26 games for his club. Ronald Koeman and Newcastle will be without one of their best defenders for a long time, with Botman’s return date slated for October 1, when the 2024/25 season is fully underway.
Lucas Hernandez
Lucas Hernandez suffered yet another long-term injury, forcing him out of France’s Euro 2024 squad. The 28-year-old’s injury woes have continued to haunt him, with the defender suffering an ACL tear to his left knee during PSG’s first-leg Champions League semi-final clash against Borussia Dortmund.
The news comes as a big blow to Didier Deschamps, who will be without his first-choice left-back yet again. Hernandez had previously suffered a serious ACL injury during France’s 2022 World Cup opening group game, and there were rumours that the former Bayern man was considering retirement. He came back strong and joined PSG last summer, making 41 appearances for the Paris-based club and leading them to another Ligue 1 title. But Hernandez has now been dealt another big career blow and is expected to be unavailable for selection until December.
Jurrien Timber
Another Dutch defender, another ACL tear. Jurrien Timber’s Euro 2024 inclusion has been hanging by a thread since September but it has now been confirmed that the former Ajax man won’t play for Ronald Koeman in Germany.
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Timber, who joined Arsenal in the summer, suffered a cruciate ligament tear in his Premier League debut after helping the Gunners to an FA Community Shield Trophy a few days prior. The injury saw him miss 45 games for Arsenal, and although he has returned in time for the Euros, Ronald Koeman has chosen not to risk him. The 22-year-old has played in 15 games for Oranje but will have to wait until after the Euros to add to his tally.
Thibaut Courtois
Belgium without their first-choice goalkeeper who happens to be one of the best in the world? That will be the case for the Red Devils this summer as Domenico Tedesco has chosen not to include the goalkeeper in his squad. The 32-year-old was ruled out of the Belgium squad after it was announced that he suffered a meniscus tear in his right knee during training in March. He had earlier suffered a cruciate ligament tear that caused him to be sidelined for 265 days, missing 42 games for Real Madrid and Belgium’s closing qualifying rounds.
Despite a return to action for Real Madrid in May, Tedesco has opted to leave Courtois out of the squad that will be representing Belgium next month.
