Trent Alexander-Arnold and four BIG names to miss EURO 2020 with injury

It may be a year late, but this summer’s Euros is firmly prised to be one of the best tournaments in a very long time. 

With many players seeing the old guard replaced with the new, the tournament has perhaps never been so open in its history.

Unfortunately, there are many stars who will have to watch the tournament unfold from the sidelines or in front of their televisions, with injuries keeping them from donning their national shirts in front of the eyes of millions.

We take a look at five massive players who would have rocked Euro 2020.

Trent Alexander-Arnold – England

Arnold’s crossing will be a huge miss for the Three Lions.

England could probably select an entire first XI made up entirely of right-backs and expect to do well, such is the furious depth of talent they have in that position.

At first it looked like the Liverpool wizard was going to be the full back to miss out, however, manager Gareth Southgate opted to take the 22-year-old as one of FOUR right backs.

Unfortunately for the Premier League and Champions League winner, he suffered a thigh injury when he cleared a ball in the friendly against Austria, ruling him out of the tournament completely.

While Reece James, Kieran Trippier, and Kyle Walker are more than capable defenders, Arnold’s passing and crossing ability is world class, and he will be a huge miss for the Three Lions.

Marco Reus – Germany

Reus did not feel 100% fit to star for Germany in this summer’s championships.

The Borussia Dortmund wing wizard has had little luck with the national team, missing the 2014 World Cup in Brazil when Joachim Low’s side went and won the entire competition, hammering Brazil along the way.

Unfortunately, the 32-year-old’s fitness issues have returned and he has opted to rule himself out of this year’s tournament.

The football world was gutted as he is a player adored my many inside and outside Germany.

An attack of Kai Havertz, Leroy Sane, Serge Gnabry, and Reus would have been a terrifying, but exhilarating prospect.

Ansu Fati – Spain

Fati has been sidelined since November.

The 18-year-old Barcelona winger is tipped for global stardom and domination, but he will have to do it when he eventually recovers from the meniscus injury which has kept him from the football pitch since November.

Spain are currently going through a massive change and are desperately trying to replace the likes of Xavi, Andres Iniesta and David Villa.

A fully fit and firing Fati would have been at the heart of this evolution and he will be a huge miss for Spain.

His youthful age means there is plenty of time for the Barca youngster and there is no doubt his opportunity on the international stage will come.

Virgil van Dijk – Netherlands

Van Dijk has not played since rupturing his cruciate ligament against Everton in October last year.

It seems like a life time ago when a clattering challenge by Jordan Pickford ended Virgil van Dijk’s and, in a way, Liverpool’s season.

Jurgen Klopp’s side’s struggles began as soon as the Dutch colossus limped to the sidelines and, like the Reds, Holland will have to find a way without him.

Van Dijk would have partnered Matthijs de Ligt at the heart of the Netherland’s defence, and his absence will only be celebrated by the Orange’s opposition.

Liverpool went from being an exciting, but leaky side, to an imperious winning machine, and there is little doubt Van Dijk’s arrival was the catalyst for this change – will his absence trouble the Netherlands as much as it troubled Liverpool?

Zlatan Ibrahimovic – Sweden

Ibrahimovic has won the Swedish player of the year a record 12 times.

The AC Milan megastar regularly refers to himself as a Lion, however, when his goals and leadership helped the Rossoneri qualify for the Champions League for the first time since 2014, who would contradict him?

On March 16th, the 38-year-old announced he would return to the Sweden national side ahead of the Euros to the happiness and relief of all of global football.

Unfortunately, the former Barcelona, Inter Milan and Manchester United star was not able to recover in time from a knee injury which caused him to limp off during Milan’s 3-0 victory against Juventus in May.

Just like they had to in 2018 – when they got to the World Cup quarter-finals, Sweden will have to make do without their charismatic talisman – so how far will they go?