Is there a standby list for 2022 World Cup squads, and can players be replaced when the tournament starts?

INJURIES are a concern for any player, but rarely more so than when a World Cup is around the corner.

All players hoping to be involved at Qatar have been treading carefully in their final club matches, knowing that an injury would rule them out of action at the World Cup.

Reuters

Ben Chilwell won’t feature for England after picking up a hamstring injury in stoppage time against Dinamo Zagreb[/caption]

Reuters

Neymar sustained an injury in the 2014 World Cup which ruled him out of the tournament[/caption]

We have already seen injuries to Chelsea’s Reece James and Ben Chilwell in recent weeks, preventing them from representing England.

And it would be no surprise to see more players go the same way, even once the tournament has begun.

Is there a standby list for World Cup squads?

Luckily, Fifa have ruled that teams can replace players who are unable to play due to injury or COVID-19 24 hours prior to their first match.

This allows all nations to take fully-fit squads to the competition, preventing late injuries from hindering managers’ plans.

Can teams replace injured players after the World cup has started?

Currently, players who are injured during the tournament cannot be replaced by another player once the tournament has begun.

However, the increased 26-man squad size is thought to cater for such events.

Previous tournaments have only allowed 23 players to take part.