Promising football stars to miss World Cup

By Can Erozden

ANKARA (AA) - Many football stars in their twenties have been left out from their countries' World Cup squads even though they contributed to win domestic league titles for their clubs in 2018.

English Premier League champions Manchester City's French center back Aymeric Laporte and his German teammate Leroy Sane will not play for their countries during the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia to be held between June 14-July 15.

Former Athletic Bilbao veteran Laporte, 24, joined Manchester City in January 2018 following a €65-million ($77 million) transfer fee.

Laporte's German teammate Sane will be missing the World Cup as well.

Manchester City winger Sane, 22, is the surprise absentee as Germany coach Joachim Low preferred Julian Brandt.

Germany announced their World Cup squad on Twitter Monday.

This season, Sane scored 10 goals and had 15 assists in 32 English Premier League appearances.

In August 2016, Manchester City transferred Sane from German team Schalke 04 for €50.5 million (nearly $60 million) .

- No place for Bayern Munich star

German football heavyweights Bayern Munich's French winger Kingsley Coman was not selected by France coach Didier Deschamps to play in the World Cup as they announced their squad on May 17 on Instagram.

In late February, Coman sustained a syndesmotic ligament tear injury, which sidelined him for more than two months. Coman recovered in mid-May.

Despite his young age, the 21-year-old has played for many football giants, such as French club Paris Saint-Germain, Juventus from Italy and Bayern Munich.

This season Coman scored seven goals and produced eight assists in 33 matches for Bayern Munich.

Spanish La Liga winners Barcelona's right-back Sergi Roberto was not preferred by Spain coach for the World Cup.

Julen Lopetegui did not pick 26-year-old Roberto even though he played in 48 matches. In the 2017-2018 football season Roberto scored one goal and made eight assists for Barcelona.

- PSG duo not in France's World Cup plans

French Ligue 1 champions Paris Saint-Germain's (PSG) French players, Adrien Rabiot and Layvin Kurzawa have been left out of the France team.

Rabiot, 23 -- playing in central midfield -- regularly played for his club this season with 50 club appearances and tallied five goals and seven assists.

The other PSG player Layvin Kurzawa, 25, has been left out France squad as well. The PSG leftback scored five goals and produced four assists in 28 club appearances.

Paris Saint-Germain succeeded in all domestic competitions this season as they won the country's top-tier Ligue 1 title as well as two other domestic trophies, French League Cup and French Cup.

Brazilian defender of Italian Serie A winners Juventus, Alex Sandro, 27, was understood to be missing the top-tier international football contest in Russia when Brazil named the 23-man squad for the World Cup on June 1.

Real Madrid regular Marcelo and Atletico Madrid's Filipe Luis were called for Brazil's international duty in Russia. La Liga duo Marcelo and Filipe Luis are expected to play on Brazil's left side.

In 2017-2018 football season Sandro played in 39 club matches where he scored four goals and produced six assists for Juve.

This season Juventus did double as they bagged Serie A league title and Italian Cup.

The World Cup will be held between June 14 and July 15 in Russia with 32 teams competing in eight groups.