It’s every footballer’s nightmare on the way to the World Cup in Qatar. Injuring yourself now, even a minor one, could be fatal 36 days before the start of the World Cup. The pressure is on, the stress is mounting and another busy club calendar is upon us.

It was not for nothing that Argentina’s Ángel Di María was sidelined in the Champions League game against Maccabi Haifa with a hamstring injury. It wasn’t his first injury of the season either. According to the first reports, it’s not that bad: With a recovery period of three weeks, the attacker can still make it to the World Cup in Qatar.

Di María is not Argentina’s only problem child. AS Roma striker Paulo Dybala was injured on penalties in Sunday’s 2-1 Liga game against Lecce. Dybala left the field in tears with a muscle injury.

And then there’s Lionel Messi. The Paris Saint-Germain star has missed his club’s last two games due to calf problems. However, Messi is said to be available again for tomorrow’s top-flight French game against Olympique de Marseille.

Messi is more worried about Di Maria and Dybala and less about himself. “I hope they both recover,” said the attacker. “Seeing these things is scary, but thinking about them too much can have the opposite effect. It’s best to just carry on as usual. Playing is the best way to stay healthy…”

DeJong & Depay

It will also be exciting for Louis van Gaal in the coming weeks. Frenkie de Jong and Memphis Depay were eliminated from the last international match with thigh problems. The national coach sent an encouraging message to the Barcelona duo.

“I gave them a heart,” said Van Gaal. “They meant a lot to that orange. I’m trying to keep them in the World Cup squad for as long as possible, but then they have to be fit.”

Frenkie de Jong is fit now. He’s already been substituted on twice for Barca. It will take a little longer for Depay, although the Orange forward won’t regret the Catalan club giving him time to fully recover.

With Matthijs de Ligt resigning from FC Bayern Munich last weekend, Van Gaal looked set to pick up another injury. But on Friday morning, de Ligt was back on the Bayern training ground. His groin injury doesn’t appear to be that bad.

Luuk de Jong can still hope for a ticket to Qatar. With Wout Weghorst he seems to be vying for a place as a battering ram in the World Cup selection. Then de Jong has to get fit quickly. He has been out for two months with a calf injury. The forward resumed group training at PSV on Wednesday.

Arnaut Danjuma, Donyell Malen and Noa Lang have all recently returned from injury. The important thing for them now is to play and stand out as much as possible. In this respect, Danjuma scored a “plus” with a goal for Villarreal against Austria Vienna in the Conference League.

A line can be drawn between the names of Bruno Martins Indi and Georginio Wijnaldum. The pair will not make it to the World Cup. You are not alone.

Streak by Arthur Melo, Kanté throwback

The Brazilian Arthur Melo brought bad news on Friday evening. The 26-year-old Liverpool midfielder announced on Instagram that he needed time to recover from his hamstring injury sustained in training.

“Unfortunately, as you know, a serious injury to my left thigh will prevent me from playing for a while,” wrote the Brazilian. “It comes at a time when, after tremendous effort and a lot of hard work, I was ready to prove myself in my new team and fight for my dream of playing at the World Cup.”

France coach Didier Deschamps must be having sleepless nights. N’Golo Kanté has been out since August with a hamstring injury and is now facing a setback in his recovery. “He’s going to see a specialist this weekend. It’s a setback, it’s not good news,” said Chelsea manager Graham Potter.

Kanté isn’t the only Les Bleus player racing against the clock. Lucas Hernandez (muscle injury), Lucas Digne (ankle), Presnel Kimpembe (hamstring), Jules Koundé (Achilles tendon) and Paul Pogba (knee) are also still in the basket.

England also have an impressive injury list so close to the World Cup. Chelsea player Reece James will be examined by a specialist this weekend. The 22-year-old Englishman suffered a knee injury in last Tuesday’s 2-0 win at AC Milan.

What is striking about the English team is the number of injuries suffered by right-backs. Alongside James, Manchester City’s Kyle Walker (groin) and Trent Alexander-Arnold (ankle) are also struggling with injuries. England internationals John Stones (thigh) and Kalvin Phillips (shoulder) are also unfit.

“I see a crowded program and a lot of players who play a lot,” England coach Gareth Southgate reacted to the injury problems. “Realistically, we will lose even more. It’s all so intense and the players have played so much.”

Do Courtois, Lukaku and De Ketelaere fit?

Spain is relatively calm when it comes to injuries. Atlético Madrid’s Marcos Llorente suffered a thigh muscle injury in the Champions League match against Club Brugge in early October. According to Spanish media, he won’t be able to play for four to five weeks. Mikel Oyarzabal (knee) and Dani Olmo (ankle) look fit.

Above all, Germany is hoping for the recovery of Florian Wirtz, who has been out for more than 200 days due to a cruciate ligament rupture. “We’re not putting any pressure on him,” said national coach Hansi Flick on the recovery of the 19-year-old midfielder from Bayer Leverkusen. “He’s still very young and can still play a lot of tournaments.”

Portugal are concerned about injuries to Pepe (knee) and Nuno Mendes (muscle injury) and Red Devils thumbs for Thibaut Courtois (nerve pain in left leg), Romelu Lukaku (hamstring), Charles De Ketelaere (muscle injury) and Thomas Meunier (groin ) .

And let’s just hope there aren’t any new injuries. “It’s worrying,” Messi agrees. “It’s a different World Cup than usual, at a different time. We’re so close and any little thing can make you miss the tournament…”