Seven World Cup Injuries Bettors Should Know About
By MICHAEL DA SILVA
The World Cup is just days away and world-class footballers are dropping like flies in some rather unfriendly warm-up matches. The 2010 tournament will be strangely devoid of some of soccer’s more familiar faces.
We take a look at the key absentees and weigh up which teams will suffer from their losses.
Michael Essien, Ghana (+17,500 - odds to win tournament)
Michael Essien has been struggling with injury for months and is yet another Chelsea player who will be missing. Undoubtedly Ghana’s most influential player, Essien plays in a more attacking role for his country and his creativity and robust tackling will leave a hole in the Ghanaian team that cannot be replaced.
Ghana face Australia, Serbia and Germany in Group D and, without Essien, Ghana may not be as good value as the tournament’s official “dark horses” as they may have been.
Didier Drogba, Ivory Coast (+5000)
Drogba may still find a way of patching up that fractured elbow in sometime later in the tournament, but should he lose that battle he is easily the biggest loss to any team at the finals. Drogba is a world-class finisher and was the Ivory Coasts’ ticket to qualifying from Group F. You won’t be able to wipe the grin off the faces of the Portuguese and Brazilians if Drogba doesn’t make it.
Ivory Coast will need major production from forwards Salomon Kalou and Gervinho in Drogba’s absence if they have any hope of advancing to the knockout stage.
Andrea Pirlo, Italy (+1600)
Pirlo was integral to Italy’s World Cup winning campaign in 2006. The classy playmaker is a huge loss to the central midfield as the chief string-puller, providing the likes of Di Natale and Gilardino with the service on which they thrive. Without Pirlo cementing the team together, Italy’s ageing ensemble may look a little lost in South Africa.
The Azzurri midfield attack will now be in the hands of Daniele de Rossi, a player more known for his strength than his world-class skills. Look for Riccardo Montolivo to get extra time on the pitch whenever the Italians are lacking push from their midfielders.
Michael Ballack, Germany (+1400)
Ballack's World Cup trip was canceled over a month ago because of injury but his importance to his team makes him a worthy candidate for this list. Ballack is symbolic to German football and, at 33, Germany’s captain will miss out on what would have surely been his last World Cup.
Ballack has endured his fair share of bad luck throughout his career, missing out on the 2002 World Cup final through suspension. In the same year he was also a runner-up in the Bundesliga, German Cup and Champions League with Bayer Leverkusen. In 2008, he was part of the Chelsea side that were runners-up in the League Cup, Premier League and the Champions League, before captaining Germany to a 1-0 defeat to Spain in the Euro 2008 final.
Oh, and to add insult to injury, he was put out of the 2010 World Cup by a late tackle from Kevin Prince-Boateng, the German-born midfielder of Group D rivals Ghana. The conspiracy theorists have been hard at work in Germany for the past 4 weeks. The Germans will be significantly weaker without their star man.
Rio Ferdinand, England (+700)
The curse of the England captain strikes again! Ferdinand follows in the footsteps of David Beckham, Bryan Robson and Kevin Keegan in suffering injury during or before the finals. Even skipper Bobby Moore was arrested in Colombia before the Mexico tournament in 1970, after being falsely accused of stealing a bracelet in Bogota airport (for the record, he was set up). Although Ferdinand’s injury is a personal nightmare for the defender, his loss is not as crucial to England’s hopes as if they had lost Rooney, Cole or Lampard.
Tottenham’s Ledley King should fit in seamlessly as John Terry’s new defensive partner.
John Obi Mikel, Nigeria (+20,000)
Mikel’s absence is a similar blow to Nigeria as his Chelsea teammate Essien’s is to Ghana. In losing Mikel, Nigeria have had the heart ripped out of their side, meaning those vuvuzelas will be chiming somewhat less enthusiastically by the Nigerian fans than they would have been. Nigeria face Argentina, Greece and South Korea – none of whom are easy opponents – and without Mikel, Nigeria have their work cut out to reach the Round of 16.
Arjen Robben, Netherlands (+1000)
Robben’s prognosis is the most optimistic of this group. He injured his hamstring in a 6-1 friendly win over the weekend against Hungry. Netherlands coach Bert van Marijk is hasn’t replaced Robben’s spot despite an uncertainly of his return.
Robben is a wing player with incredible talents but unlike Drogba's situation Holland have more quality throughout the team. Robben’s injury actually might make his manager's job a bit easier. No Robben means more minutes for Rafael Van de Vaart, who's been in top form over the last few months.
But should Holland win their group and meet higher quality opponents in the shape of England or Germany, who they are destined to face in the quarterfinals, Robben’s absence may be felt.