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Injuries are part and parcel of a contact sport like football. Despite a team's best efforts, key players do get injured over the course of a season. These injuries either derail a team's campaign or force them to significantly lower their ambitions in the immediate future.
Thanks to advancements in sports science and depth in rosters, most top teams can mitigate injuries to key players to a large extent. However, that isn't always the case, which is why the minutes of such players are carefully managed. Nevertheless, not even the best of teams are immune to player injuries.
As is the case every season, many top players are out injured this campaign as well. On that note, here's a look at the most valuable injured XI at the moment.
A 4-2-2-2 formation has been considered for this hypothetical XI. All stats are as per transfermarkt unless mentioned otherwise.
So without further ado, let's get started:
# Goalkeeper: Mike Maignan (AC Milan) - €25 million
Mike Maignan hit the ground running on his arrival at AC Milan this summer. The Frenchman kept two clean sheets in his first three league games to showcase his pedigree.
Though he has kept only one other clean sheet in six subsequent games across competitions, Maignan has been a rock at the back for Milan. He also saved a penalty off Mohamed Salah in a Champions League game. In the process of saving the spot-kick, Maignan tore a ligament in his wrist that necessitated surgery.
Although the operation was a success, Maignan now faces up to ten weeks on the sidelines, which rules him out for the rest of the calendar year.
# Left-back: Raphael Guerreiro (Borussia Dortmund) - €40 million
Raphael Guerreiro is one of the top goalscoring full-backs in the game at the moment. The 27-year-old has tallied 32 goals and as many assists in 168 games across competitions for Borussia Dortmund.
Guerreiro has already scored three times in six league games for BVB this season. However, he is currently down with an injury, which he sustained while on international duty with Portugal last month.
With a mounting list of key injured players, it remains to be seen how Marco Rose's men will fare in the next few weeks.
# Centre-back - Raphael Varane (Manchester United) - €70 million
Raphael Varane is one of the best centre-backs in the game at the moment. Varane was a statement signing of sorts when Manchester United landed him from Real Madrid this summer.
The 2018 FIFA World Cup winner made a rousing start to life at Old Trafford, notching up an assist. Varane played nine games for the club across competitions before sustaining an injury in the UEFA Nations League final.
In his absence, United have slumped to league defeats against Liverpool and Manchester City. Although he returned for the Red Devils' win at Spurs, Varane pulled his hamstring in the Champions League draw at Atalanta. He is likely to miss action for at least a month, as informed by the club.
# Centre-back - Presnel Kimpembe (PSG) - €70 million
Presnel Kimpembe has been a key player for PSG this season, making a whopping 17 appearances across competitions already.
However, the 26-year-old centre-back endured a hamstring injury to his left thigh earlier this month, as confirmed by his club. He is expected to return in two weeks time.
Kimpembe has made nearly 200 appearances across competitions for PSG since debuting for the Ligue 1 giants in 2014-15.
# Right-back: Sergino Dest (Barcelona) - €30 million
Sergino Dest is one of the most exciting young full-backs in the game at the moment. The young American joined Barcelona last summer and has racked up over 50 games across competitions already. That includes 13 games this campaign.
However, the 21-year-old injured his lumbago earlier this month, and is slated to miss around three weeks of action. In the process, Dest joined a mounting list of injured Barcelona players. The Blaugrana had this to say about Dest's injury:
“The first team player Sergiño Dest has lower back pain. He is unavailable for selection and his recovery will dictate his return."
Under new head coach Xavi, Dest will look to hit the ground running and continue being a part of the club's rebuild.
# Left Midfielder: Ansu Fati (Barcelona) - €60 million
Ansu Fati is one of the most exciting young players in the game at the moment. He is arguably the best forward to have emerged from Barcelona's La Masia academy since a certain Lionel Messi.
However, the 19-year-old has had a stop-start career. After a fabulous debut campaign in 2019-20, Fati suffered a season-ending injury early last season. Returning from a long layoff this campaign, the Spaniard scored four goals across competitions before going down with another injury.
The forward injured his thigh after opening the scoring for Barcelona against Celta Vigo.
Reports suggest that Fati could return to action in four to six weeks' time, which rules him out for the month.
# Central Midfielder: Pedri (Barcelona) - €80 million
Pedri is one of the most exciting and expensive teenage players in the game at the moment.
Since breaking out into the fold last season, the 18-year-old has become a key player for club and country. Pedri racked up over 50 appearances for the club in his debut season, scoring four times and assisting six. He also featured for Spain at Euro 2020 and the Summer Olympics in Tokyo.
However, too many games and too little rest have had its toll on the youngster. Out since September with a muscle injury, Pedri is only expected to return sometime this month.
Pedri has played only twice this season. In his absence, Barcelona have endured one of their worst starts to a campaign, across competitions, in recent memory.
# Central Midfielder: Marcos Llorente (Atletico Madrid) - €80 million
Marcos Llorente has been a key player for Atletico Madrid since arriving at the club in the summer of 2019.
The 26-year-old midfielder has scored 18 times and assisted on 17 occasions in almost 100 games across competitions for the Rojiblancos. He scored 12 goals and provided 11 assists last season as Diego Simeone's men won their first league title in seven years.
Yet to open his account in 11 games across competitions this season, Llorente suffered a muscle injury last month. He is expected to be back in action after the ongoing international break.
Llorente will look to produce another stellar campaign to help Atletico successfully defend their La Liga title.
# Right Midfielder: Ousmane Dembele (Barcelona) - €50 million
Ousmane Dembele has had a frustrating injury-plagued stint at Barcelona since arriving on a big-money move in the summer of 2017.
The former Borussia Dortmund midfielder has only made over 100 appearances across competitions for Barcelona. During this period, he has missed almost as many games because of various injuries.
Deemed surplus to requirements last summer, Dembele was on the cusp of leaving Barcelona, but stayed put. He responded with one of his best campaigns in a Blaugrana jersey, scoring 11 times across competitions before suffering another injury.
However, in his first game after a five-month layoff, Dembele is out injured again. He is expected to return after the international break, though.
It remains to be seen if the 24-year-old is able to impress new head coach Xavi and provide the Barcelona faithful with a glimpse of his abilities.
# Striker: Erling Haaland (Borussia Dortmund) - €150 million
Erling Haaland is arguably one of the best strikers in the game at the moment. After a hat-trick on his UEFA Champions League debut in 2019-20, Haaland hasn't looked back since.
He moved to Borussia Dortmund last January, and has already racked up 70 goals and 19 assists across competitions in 69 matches. After a 41-goal campaign last season, Haaland raced to 13 this season before injuring his hip flexor.
BVB are expected to be without their star striker for the rest of the year as they look to qualify for the knockout stages of the Champions League.
# Striker: Romelu Lukaku (Chelsea) - €100 million
Romelu Lukaku is one of the best strikers in the game at the moment. After winning the Scudetto with Inter Milan last season, Lukaku returned to Chelsea for the first time in almost a decade.
He scored on his second league debut for Chelsea and racked up three more strikes across competitions. However, Lukaku went down with an ankle injury in a UEFA Champions League game against Malmo, and has been out of action since then.
The international break couldn't have come at a better time for Lukaku, who has hinted that he might be back for the Leicester City game next weekend.
With Chelsea competing on multiple fronts, Lukaku will hope to return with a bang after going off the boil in recent weeks.
