Ranking How Injuries Will Impact on the Champions League Favourites
After a long winter hibernation, the UEFA Champions League is nearly back. Sixteen teams are left in the competition, and every one of them will be in action over the next few weeks as the knockout stage kicks off.
Of course, with the season wearing on, even the biggest clubs are dealing with injury issues. With that in mind, we're looking at how injuries will affect the big hitters that are left in the competition.
The nine clubs we looked at were Arsenal, Atletico Madrid, Barcelona, Bayern Munich, Chelsea, Juventus, Manchester City, Paris Saint-Germain and Real Madrid. To determine our rankings, we looked out how much each injured player contributed to the squad.
Agree? Disagree? Let us know in the comments.
9. Barcelona
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Fixtures: Arsenal vs. Barcelona, Feb. 23; Barcelona vs. Arsenal, Mar. 16
Rafinha has sat out since September after suffering a ruptured cruciate ligament. That was a bitter blow for the 22-year-old attacking midfielder, but at present, it's Barcelona's only current injury.
Verdict: Manager Luis Enrique can sleep soundly at night. Having just one player sidelined won't hurt Barcelona, which remain on track for silverware on multiple fronts.
8. Paris Saint-Germain
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Fixtures: PSG vs. Chelsea, Feb. 16; Chelsea vs. PSG, Mar. 9
Paris Saint-Germain are sitting pretty in Ligue 1 with a 24-point lead over the chasing pack. Chelsea should offer a stiff challenge in the round of 16, but PSG manager Laurent Blanc doesn't have many injury worries at present.
Midfielder Javier Pastore suffered a calf injury last month, and right-back Gregory van der Wiel has missed time recently after having an appendectomy. That represents the full extent of PSG's injury list.
Verdict: At this stage of the season, it could be much worse. And as we'll see, it is much worse for a few teams on this list.
7. Atletico Madrid
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Fixtures: PSV vs. Atletico, Feb. 24; Atletico vs. PSV, Mar. 15
Atletico have two key players missing, and they both play in the same part of the field. Last November, central midfielder Tiago Mendes broke a bone in his leg, an injury that ruled the 34-year-old out for the season.
To help fill the gap, the Colchoneros signed Augusto Fernandez in January, but the 29-year-old went down with a ruptured cruciate ligament at the end of the month.
It was a bitter blow, but manager Diego Simeone has options to fill the gap, including Koke, Saul Niguez and Thomas Partey.
Verdict: Simeone is a shrewd coach who is capable of overcoming what is, in reality, a damaging injury for his side. Fortunately, the rest of the squad is comparatively healthy.
6. Chelsea
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Fixtures: PSG vs. Chelsea, Feb. 16; Chelsea vs. PSG, Mar. 9
New signings Alexandre Pato and Matt Miazga lack match fitness, but that should only be a temporary setback for both players. However, it's unclear how much either will contribute right away.
Striker Radamel Falcao remains on the books but is clearly out of favor and has been injured for months. Loic Remy, another forward option, suffered a calf injury late last month.
None of these are huge concerns for the Blues. The big problem for manager Guus Hiddink is Kurt Zouma, who will miss the rest of the season with a knee injury, the club announced. His absence could mean an extended run for Gary Cahill, who had previously fallen down the pecking order at Stamford Bridge.
Verdict: Zouma's injury is a damaging one, but even though Cahill has been out of favor, he does have plenty of Champions League experience. Beyond centre-back, Chelsea have few pressing concerns.
5. Real Madrid
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Fixtures: Roma vs. Real Madrid, Feb. 17; Real Madrid vs. Roma, Mar. 8
Real Madrid have key players missing on attack and defense.
Pepe has returned to training after a foot injury, but Danilo and Marcelo are set to miss time following foot and shoulder issues, respectively. The Mirror reported that Gareth Bale, meanwhile, is expected to return to action later this month. He has been battling a calf injury.
Verdict: All of these players are important to Real Madrid to varying degrees. But the squad is large enough that manager Zinedine Zidane has quality options from which to choose replacements.
4. Arsenal
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Fixtures: Arsenal vs. Barcelona, Feb. 23; Barcelona vs. Arsenal, Mar. 16
Arsenal's annual injury crisis hit the club hard this season, with key contributors Alexis Sanchez, Santi Cazorla and Francis Coquelin—among many others—missing significant time. However, the Gunners' injury concerns have eased in recent weeks.
Sanchez has already returned to the side, playing four times since Jan. 24. Coquelin is back as well but only appeared as a second-half substitute in each of Arsenal's last two Premier League games.
Cazorla, meanwhile, is nearing a return but will need time to re-establish match fitness. Speaking about Cazorla and Jack Wilshere—another player who is returning from injury—manager Arsene Wenger told Arsenal's official website: "Jack and Santi are progressing well but they are at least a few weeks away. But these two apart, it is just about competitiveness and match fitness."
Finally, forward Danny Welbeck is nearing a return from a long-term absence, and midfielder Tomas Rosicky is out for a few months. Neither has contributed extensively this season.
The main concern is Cazorla, whose calmness and composure on the ball give Arsenal a reassuring presence in midfield. Without him, the Gunners have often struggled to find their rhythm in the attacking third.
Verdict: Arsenal's woes have lessened, but Cazorla has been a huge loss for the Gunners in recent weeks. He could be ready in time to face Barcelona, but he might not be at his best.
Still, having him in the squad will be a boost.
3. Bayern Munich
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Fixtures: Juventus vs. Bayern, Feb. 23; Bayern vs. Juventus, Mar. 16
Bayern boss Pep Guardiola has selection problems at centre-back. According to Bild (via ESPN FC), Jerome Boateng should be out until at least April with a groin problem, while the injury-prone Javi Martinez is currently dealing with a meniscus injury.
Meanwhile, forward Mario Gotze is returning to match fitness after a long layoff due to an adductor issue.
Verdict: If any coach is capable of shuffling the deck to his advantage, it's Guardiola, who's always ready to experiment. However, the injuries at centre-back were enough of a worry that Bayern signed Serdar Tasci in January—so we shouldn't gloss over their effects on the team.
2. Juventus
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Fixtures: Juventus vs. Bayern, Feb. 23; Bayern vs. Juventus, Mar. 16
Juventus, which currently hold a 14-match winning streak in Serie A, have a few short-term injuries and one long-term issue to worry about.
The long-term concern is centre-back Martin Caceres, who is expected to be out until next fall as he recovers from a ruptured Achilles. Centre-back Giorgio Chiellini (calf), centre-forward Mario Mandzukic (calf), Sami Khedira (adductor) and Kwadwo Asamoah (thigh) are also currently on the sidelines, but all four should be back by the end of the month.
Verdict: The first leg of the round of 16 clash with Bayern might come too soon for the latter quartet, but they should be ready for the trip to Germany. But will their absences prove costly in that first leg?
Manager Max Allegri will have to plug holes in all parts of the pitch.
1. Manchester City
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Fixtures: Dynamo Kyiv vs. Man City, Feb. 24; Man City vs. Dynamo Kyiv, Mar. 15
Manchester City have been hit hard by injuries lately. Captain Vincent Kompany has missed long stretches of the season, and City's back line has suffered because of it. The Belgian is expected to return this month, but he will need time to get up to speed following his lengthy absence.
More recently, attacking midfielder Kevin De Bruyne suffered ligament damage in his knee and is expected to miss several weeks of action. He has a slight chance of returning by the end of the season but will definitely miss the round of 16 matches.
Additionally, playmaker David Silva hurt his ankle during the 3-1 loss to Leicester City last weekend and will probably miss the Sky Blues' crunch Premier League clash against Tottenham Hotspur on Sunday. His status for Dynamo Kyiv is unclear.
Further injury concerns involve defender Eliaquim Mangala, winger Jesus Navas, midfielder Samir Nasri and striker Wilfried Bony. According to James Robson of the Manchester Evening News, Man City manager Manuel Pellegrini said last week that he currently has just 14 fit outfield players from which to choose.
Verdict: When it comes to injuries, there's bad, worse and Man City. As if Pellegrini didn't have enough on his mind, with Pep Guardiola waiting in the wings.
