As the European Championship approaches, following a condensed season, a sense of sadness pervades among fans due to the absence of several stars who will not participate in the tournament for various reasons. Injuries have sidelined many players, while renowned stars have failed to lead their teams to qualification, resulting in fans being deprived of witnessing some of the most prominent names in football.
**Virgil van Dijk (Netherlands)**
The Liverpool star was racing against time to be fit and play for the Netherlands in the tournament, but he could not recover in time and will miss out on the orange team.
**Sergio Ramos (Spain)**
The Spanish captain has struggled with injuries throughout 2021, and ultimately, his physical unpreparedness led to his absence from Euro 2020.
**Erling Haaland (Norway)**
Haaland is considered one of the most exciting talents in Europe, but the blonde star's failure to lead Norway to qualification means we won’t see the goal machine at the major European event.
**Marco Reus (Germany)**
Germany's star Reus will again miss a major international tournament, but this time by his own choice, as the veteran player decided he wasn't physically able to play and preferred to prepare for the next season with Borussia Dortmund.
**Zlatan Ibrahimović (Sweden)**
Fans were ecstatic with Ibrahimović's call-up to the Swedish national team, but the prolific scorer later announced that he would not participate in the tournament due to injury.
**Trent Alexander-Arnold (England)**
Considered one of the best right-backs in the Premier League, Arnold's injury in a friendly match days before the tournament means we won’t see him in the Three Lions' jersey.
**Ansu Fati (Spain)**
Barcelona fans were eagerly anticipating watching the exceptional talent Fati in the Spain shirt during the Euros, but his long-term injury will extend his absence until next season.
**Jan Oblak (Slovenia)**
One of the best goalkeepers in the world, Jan Oblak, will not be present at the European Championship because Slovenia failed to qualify.
**Nicolo Zaniolo (Italy)**
The brilliant Italian talent Zaniolo will also miss the tournament due to the injury curse that has plagued him throughout the season, and Azzurri fans will have to wait until the 2022 World Cup to see the golden boy in the national team.
**Marc-André ter Stegen (Germany)**
The impressive Barcelona keeper, ter Stegen, decided to undergo surgery and withdraw from the German national team, knowing that the starting spot is reserved for his compatriot Manuel Neuer and that his presence would only be in case of emergencies.
