Lamine Yamal, Hugo Ekitike and other top stars facing World Cup injury heartbreak
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SportFootballWorld Cup 2026Need to knowThe 2026 World Cup is right around the corner, but a number of top stars across the globe could miss out on the chance of vying for glory with their respective nationsSpain star Lamine Yamal's participation at the 2026 World Cup is in doubt(Image: Getty Images)Everything you need to know about the elite-level players who could miss this summer's World Cup...Lamine Yamal: The Barcelona wonderkid has excelled domestically and in Europe this season, but could be out of the picture for this summer's tournament. Yamal was spotted clutching at his hamstring after scoring from the spot in a 1-0 win over Celta Vigo this week and Barca confirmed he is to miss the rest of the season.Hugo Ekitike: The Frenchman ruptured his Achilles during last week's Champions League quarter-final reverse at Anfield against PSG.
He is expected to be sidelined for up to nine months, meaning he will play no part in France's World Cup run.Estevao: The Brazilian sensation has hit the ground running with Chelsea this season, but suffered a grade four hamstring injury against Manchester United last week. He is highly likely to miss the rest of the season, as Carlo Ancelotti sweats over his participation on the world stage in the coming months.Rodrygo: Elsewhere, Brazil will be without Rodrygo this summer after the Real Madrid winger tore his ACL.
Carter-Vickers is racing against all odds to make an appearance for his country, but the World Cup may come far too soon for the Celtic defender.Juan Foyth: The Argentina and Villarreal defender also ruptured his Achilles in January in a La Liga fixture with Real Madrid. As a result, he will not have the opportunity to prove himself at this summer's tournament.James Maddison: While he returned to the bench against Brighton for the first time since sustaining an ACL injury in pre-season at the weekend, Maddison will likely be omitted from Thomas Tuchel's plans this summer.