“FIFA Virus” Hits Europe Again: 60 Players Affected
The first international break of the season left a long list of physical problems, with several major names among those affected.
The first international break of the season left at least 60 players dealing with physical problems across Europe’s big five leagues. The Premier League was hit hardest with 16 cases, followed by Serie A (14), LaLiga (13), the Ligue 1 (9) and the Bundesliga (8).
The international window stretched across 16 days and allowed national teams to play up to four matches. The count includes injuries, knocks or discomfort suffered while away on international duty, whether with senior national teams or youth sides.
That explains the inclusion of cases such as Javi Hernández, of Espanyol, and Fran González, of Sevilla, with Spain U21, as well as Ethan Mbappé and Senny Mayulu, who were both forced off before halftime in France U21’s match against Estonia.
LaLiga and the Premier League Lose Several Big Names
Among LaLiga’s 13 affected players were Kylian Mbappé, Ibrahima Konaté, Raphinha and Nico Williams. Real Madrid saw Mbappé and Konaté return from France duty with physical issues, while Barcelona monitored Raphinha and Eric García. Nico Williams was also unable to complete the international window with Spain.
In England, the 16 cases included players from Arsenal, Liverpool, Manchester United and Manchester City. Among them was Erling Haaland, who asked to be substituted against Portugal due to fatigue and muscular discomfort, although his condition is not considered serious.
Serie A Adds Another 14 Affected Players
The Italian league was the second hardest hit, with 14 players returning with some kind of physical problem.
Among the more serious cases were Costantino Favasuli, who suffered a second-degree rectus femoris injury; Nicolò Zaniolo and Giacomo Raspadori, both dealing with hamstring problems; and Albert Gudmundsson, who dislocated his shoulder while playing for Iceland.
Ferran Torres Headlines Ligue 1’s List
Ligue 1 recorded nine affected players, including Ferran Torres, who left the Spain camp due to persistent discomfort in his left ankle.
The forward plays for Paris Saint-Germain, meaning his case counts toward the French league. Senny Mayulu, Ethan Mbappé, Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg, Amine Gouiri, Aleksandr Golovin and Amadou Haïdara were also among those affected.
Musiala Among the Bundesliga’s Eight Cases
The Bundesliga completed the count with eight affected players. One of the biggest names was Jamal Musiala, who suffered a right thigh muscle injury during the warm-up before Germany’s match against the Netherlands and was unable to start the game.
Bayern Munich was not the only German club affected. Hamburg lost Albert Gronbaek and Patson Daka, while players from Bayer Leverkusen, Leipzig, Eintracht and Borussia Mönchengladbach also returned with physical problems.
The Toll Left by the “FIFA Virus”
- 60 players suffered some kind of physical problem during the international break.
- The Premier League, with 16 cases, was the hardest-hit competition.
- Stars including Kylian Mbappé, Erling Haaland, Ferran Torres and Jamal Musiala feature on the list.
