5 players that have missed a World Cup due to injury

Injuries are frustrating for any footballer especially the ones which could keep them out of a competition as important as the World Cup which is the holy grail for any player. Every World Cup has its set of players who miss the tournament due to an injury. Theo Walcott, Radamel Falcao, Guiseppe Rossi and Sami Khedria are already a doubt for this years World Cup and hopefully won’t be joined by any more star players. Here is a list of 5 players who have missed a World Cup due to injury:

Canizares was Spain’s first choice keeper

5. Santiago Canizares

The former Valencia goalkeeper was one of the key players that missed the 2002 World Cup in South Korea and Japan. Canizares, who was regarded as one of the best goalkeepers in the world, had his World Cup hopes ended after accidentally smashing a bottle of aftershave on his foot. The unfortunate incident occurred in the hotel room the Spanish team were staying in just days before they were set to depart for the tournament.

The shot stopper injured his tendon on his right foot after a shard from the bottle penetrated his skin effectively ending his World Cup hopes. Canizares was replaced by a young Iker Casillas who helped the team reach the quarter-finals of the tournament before being eliminated by hosts South Korea. Canizares made a few appearances for La Roja after his injury but lost his place as the team’s first choice goalkeeper due to the form of Casillas.