World Cup 2018: Top 5 midfielders who will miss the World Cup
The 2018 Russia World Cup begins in under a month and most national team managers have submitted their 23-man squads. With a number of controversial and hard decisions taken by the respective bosses, selected players now get the chance to represent their country at a World Cup
A mixture of top professionals have been left out due to various reasons, whether it was inconsistency, lack of playing time or injuries. Managers have had a horrid time making these difficult decisions but its just part of the job.
A number of top midfielders have been left out of their national team squads. Here we look at the top 5 left out.
#5 Dimitri Payet
The 30-year-old Marseille playmaker, Dimitri Payet has not been the most influential player for his club this season, with only 7 goals in 34 appearances in all competitions. His poor form coupled with the brilliant displays by his compatriots this campaign has resulted in the Frenchman not getting picked for the World Cup squad.
Payet most recently played a big part in Marseille's Europa League final appearance and pushed for a spot in the national team. The former West Ham player has made 37 appearances for the French national team and scored 8 goals in his career.
Deschamps had picked Payet for the 2016 Euro tournament after his stellar season with West Ham that season. However, the manager has picked his squad based on the player's performances throughout the season, and Payet has not made the cut for this tournament.
All stats via transfermarkt