Injured XI: ​Best players who won't be at Euro 2016

As with any international competition, there are a host of talented stars who will be unable to partake in Euro 2016 thanks to various injuries.

Related - Omitted XI: Best players left off Euro 2016 squads

From youngsters to established veterans, the summer's tournament in France will be missing each of the following men, who together would comprise quite the formidable starting XI.

Jack Butland (England)

A fractured ankle robbed the budding Stoke City shot-stopper of his plane ticket to France, as Butland was a lock - alongside Fraser Forster - to be in manager Roy Hodgson's squad as a backup to No. 1 goalkeeper Joe Hart. Still only 23 years old, Butland should have many more opportunities to represent the Three Lions down the road.

Dani Carvajal (Spain)

The Real Madrid right-back was named to the Spanish squad before suffering an injury at the most inopportune time, leaving last month's Champions League final in tears due to a hip ailment. While Carvajal wasn't expected to start for the reigning European champion, this summer's competition would have been his first major international tournament.

Raphael Varane (France)

Expected to anchor the host nation to victory, Raphael Varane will instead be forced to watch the competition from his couch, as the Frenchman suffered a thigh injury in the buildup to the Champions League final. Despite a frustrating league campaign that was beset by injuries and saw him spend significant portions of the year on the bench, his absence could be a major factor in determining if Les Bleus can deliver on their tag as tournament favourites.

Vincent Kompany (Belgium)

An injury-ravaged season saw Vincent Kompany cycle through intermittent spells on the pitch and the treatment table, and the big Belgian's latest setback - a groin injury - means Marc Wilmots will be without his captain for Euro 2016. A colossus when fit, the 30-year-old's absence will likely see Tottenham duo Toby Alderweireld and Jan Vertonghen form the Red Devils' central defensive pairing.

Fabio Coentrao (Portugal)

Though his club career seems to have plateaued, Coentrao's willingness to burst forward and offer another attacking outlet remained an important element of the Portuguese team. The likes of Eliseu and youngster Raphael Guerreiro will now be tasked with offering that same impetus from left-back after Coentrao was ruled out of the competition with a thigh problem.

Marco Verratti (Italy)

No player on this list was more vital to his team's Euro 2016 hopes than Marco Verratti, and it will be his absence that is most impactful. The diminutive midfield star, who combines combative and tenacious tackling with silky skill and an ability to unlock opposing defences, was hampered by an irritating groin issue for much of the past season, and Paris Saint-Germain's decision to correct the problem after the campaign, via surgery, ended any chance he had of featuring for the Azzurri.

Ilkay Gundogan (Germany)

The newly-minted Manchester City midfielder will have plenty of time to focus on his upcoming season in the Premier League, as a dislocated kneecap ruled him out of this summer's tournament. Missing a major tournament is always a difficult blow for any player, but the setback, suffered during a training session, was particularly devastating for Gundogan, who also missed the 2014 World Cup due to a back problem.

Claudio Marchisio (Italy)

Poor Antonio Conte. The Italian bench boss was robbed of his two best central midfielders ahead of the tournament, with the aforementioned Verratti joined by Juventus stalwart Claudio Marchisio. The latter, a lynchpin for both club and country, tore his cruciate ligament in April. Bereft of the midfield duo, Conte is likely going to opt for Thiago Motta - who was given the No. 10 shirt - and Daniele De Rossi in their stead. An ideal situation, this is not.

Marco Reus (Germany)

Marco Reus has no luck, man. Having missed out on Germany's triumph at the 2014 World Cup due to injury, the Borussia Dortmund star will now be absent for a second consecutive international tournament, as Reus picked up a groin problem on the eve of Joachim Low's squad announcement. Adding insult to literal injury, the electric winger learned of his ailment-induced absence on his 27th birthday. That's just cruel.

Alan Dzagoev (Russia)

Alan Dzagoev will not have the chance to replicate his breakout campaign from Euro 2012, as the attacking midfielder was ruled out of this summer's tournament after breaking a bone in his foot in late May. Russia will still fancy its chances of advancing out of Group B alongside England, but potential progression to the knockout rounds would look a lot more of an enticing bet if the CSKA star was in the squad.

Danny Welbeck (England)

A favourite of England boss Roy Hodgson, the versatile Welbeck - who had only returned from a knee problem in February after a 10-month absence - saw his Euro 2016 dreams erased in heartbreaking fashion when, on the penultimate weekend of the Premier League season, he suffered knee cartilage damage in what looked to be a somewhat innocuous collision with Bacary Sagna. The injury, and subsequent surgery, will see the 25-year-old sidelined until February.