It’s mighty depressing having no football due to the omnipresent C-word, but to lighten the gloom let’s imagine a world where football is going to resume on 4 April.
With the help of premierinjuries.com, we’ve assessed the ranks of Premier League players currently injured, and put together a top 5 of those we think could bring home some vital points if the season does resume…
1. Arnaut Groeneveld
The Bournemouth winger has suffered dreadfully with injuries this season, and has only made nine appearances for the Cherries, with no goals.
He has suffered setbacks while trying to come back from his ankle complaint, and Eddie Howe said on 6 March that the 23-year-old still hadn’t trained with the first team – but that his rehab is progressing well.
Having already scored for the Dutch international side, he certainly has pedigree, which initially convinced Bournemouth to splash out £13.7m on him last August.
His side could certainly do with his pace and trickery as they battle to avoid relegation from the top flight.
2. Leroy Sane
The Man City flyer has been injured for so long he’s almost been forgotten.
His last appearance for Pep Guardiola’s men was in the FA Community Shied win over Liverpool on 4 August, and since then it’s been a long road back to fitness.
But according to his manager, he is nearly there and if the campaign does resume, then he will have had a good few more weeks of conditioning to get himself primed for action.
3. Paul Pogba
It’s just six Fantasy League appearances for the polemising Manchester United midfielder this term, with no goals and two assists.
Before the coronavirus outbreak, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer had said the Frenchman – who celebrated his 27th birthday this week – would be ready to return to first-team training.
And if that was the case, then barring any further setbacks Pogba would surely come into contention for starting berth should the campaign resume.
And with Bruno Fernandes and Scott McTominay alongside him, that would represent one of the strongest United midfields in a long time.
4. Andriy Yarmolenko
A thigh injury has restricted the Ukrainian to just 11 Fantasy League appearances for West Ham this term, but David Moyes revealed that the 30-year-old had returned to training in the last 10 days.
With the Hammers so desperate for goals to keep them in the division, Yarmolenko will surely get his fair share of minutes should the remaining games be played out.
5. Ruben Loftus-Cheek
A serious achilles injury back in May has meant a long absence from the first-team picture for Loftus-Cheek at Chelsea.
But he played in a friendly for the Blues last month, and is nearing a return to Frank Lampard’s matchday squad as he builds up fitness.
With Chelsea currently in the midst of an injury crisis – with the likes of Mateo Kovacic and N’Golo Knate on the treatment table – Loftus-Cheek could see some action earlier than expected.
And with his powerful stature and creativity, you wouldn’t back against him making an impact in the closing weeks of the season.
