World Cup 2018 Starting Lineups: Notable Injury News and Potential Replacements

The 2018 FIFA World Cup begins on Thursday as hosts Russia open proceedings against Saudi Arabia at the Luzhniki Stadium in Moscow.

Ahead of the big kick-off, teams will be fretting on the fitness of their players and ensuring their squads are in peak condition ahead of their opening games.

With that in mind let's have a look at the notable injury news and potential replacements ahead of the World Cup.

Mohamed Salah, Egypt

Mohamed Salah injured his shoulder during the UEFA Champions League final against Real Madrid, which put his place at the World Cup in doubt.

Egypt begin their campaign against Uruguay on Friday, and Salah has said he does not yet know if he will play in the match, per ITV Football:

The Liverpool star would be a huge loss to Egypt, and it seems the team are willing to wait until the last moment to make a decision on his fitness.

Kylian Mbappe, Samuel Umtiti and Djibril Sidibe, France

France have suffered an injury scare as Kylian Mbappe was forced to leave training early on Tuesday after a challenge from Adil Rami, per L'Equipe (h/t ESPN FC).

However, the striker is expected to start France's opening game against Australia on Saturday, as shown by football writer Tom Williams:

Mbappe has also given an update on Twitter, as shown by Jonathan Johnson at ESPN FC:

If Mbappe were to miss out, it would be a big blow for France as he is a key player. However, manager Didier Deschamps is blessed with a strong attack and can choose from Antoine Griezmann, Olivier Giroud, Ousmane Dembele and Thomas Lemar.

Barcelona defender Samuel Umtiti and Monaco full-back Djibril Sidibe are also doubts for France's opener against Australia.

Get French Football News showed the situation:

France are expected to top their group and may be unwilling to risk the duo in the opening game if there are still any injury concerns.

Marcus Rashford, England

England striker Marcus Rashford picked up a knock in training before the team flew out to Russia on Tuesday, per Sky Sports News:

Manager Gareth Southgate has described the injury as a "slight knock," and it is not expected to rule him out of the Three Lions' opener against Tunisia on Monday, per Samuel Lovett at The Independent.

Rashford put in an impressive showing in England's final friendly as he scored a brilliant goal in the win over Costa Rica. Any injury to the Manchester United player is likely to boost Jamie Vardy's hopes of seeing game time in Russia.

Gerard Pique, Spain

Barcelona defender Gerard Pique left training early on Monday after feeling discomfort in his knee, according to Marca's Miguel A Lara.

Striker Rodrigo Moreno played down news of his injury, per Adriana Garcia at ESPN FC. He said: "Pique is fine. In principle, there is no problem whatsoever."

Pique is a key player in central defence for Spain alongside Real Madrid's Sergio Ramos. If he does miss out, Nacho Fernandez or Cesar Azpilicueta would likely come in.

Eden Hazard, Belgium

Chelsea's Eden Hazard limped out of Belgium's final World Cup warm-up game against Costa Rica on Monday.

However, manager Roberto Martinez played down the problem, per the Press Association (h/t the Guardian). 

"Eden is OK, he had a little trouble, but it's nothing to worry about," he said. "I really enjoyed his performance. He was sharp and strong, he was majestic. At the end, he just came off because he had a little bit of a dead leg, a little bit of a knock on his leg."

Hazard is vital to Belgium's hopes of success at the World Cup. The team open their tournament against Panama, and they will be expected to win even if Hazard were to miss out due to injury.

Manuel Lanzini, Argentina

West Ham United's Manuel Lanzini was ruled out of the World Cup after tearing his anterior cruciate ligament in training.

River Plate midfielder Enzo Perez has been called into the Argentina squad by manager Jorge Sampaoli as his replacement.

Football writer Peter Coates offered his view of Perez:

Independiente's Maximiliano Meza is expected to start in place of Lanzini with Perez as his back-up.

Mesut Ozil, Germany

Mesut Ozil is a doubt for Germany after missing training due to a knee problem, according to Bild (h/t Metro).

The Arsenal star offered an update on Twitter:

Germany start their campaign against Mexico on Sunday, and it seems as though Ozil is facing a battle to be fit for the match.

The defending champions have a star-studded squad, but Ozil would be a real miss as there is no direct replacement. Julian Draxler or Thomas Muller look the most likely options to take his No. 10 position if he fails to regain fitness in time.