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Premier League teams are some of the richest sporting entities in the world. They have the financial ability to rope in some of the biggest football stars on the planet. For a team to efficiently navigate a full season without major hitches, they need a deep squad.
Most Premier League sides have a lot of squad depth
This means that they need multiple players who can play in the same position. Naturally, there'd be a pecking order when it comes to players who can play the same role. Some become markedly better than others to the extent that the rest hardly ever get a look in.
We're all well aware of the fact that players don't like it when they are regularly put on the bench. They want to be involved and want to get minutes under their belt. Worse yet is to fall out of favor to the point where you're frozen out of the club.
Without further ado, let's take a look at five of the biggest Premier League stars who haven't played a single minute this season.
#5 Jonny (Wolverhampton Wanderers)
Spanish full-back Jonny Otto was a mainstay in Wolverhampton Wanderers' side during Nuno Espirito Santo' managerial reign. However, the 27-year-old has had recurring issues with his knee and ankle which have seen him miss out on the majority of the past couple of seasons.
Jonny missed six months of action in the 2020-21 season after injuring his ACL and returned to action in February 2021. However, he ruptured the same ligament and his MCL again in April and has been ruled out of action since.
Jonny made just seven Premier League appearances last term. He is yet to play a single minute in the ongoing season and it has been a rather unfortunate turn of events for a player who has shown a lot of promise.
#4 Nampalys Mendy (Leicester City)
N'Golo Kante was Leicester City's midfield engine in their triumphant 2015-16 Premier League campaign. Chelsea swooped in for the Frenchman in the summer of 2016 and the Foxes desperately needed someone who could replicate Kante's heroics.
They signed Nampalys Mendy from Nice. The Senegalese international had already been likened to Claude Makelele and Leicester City hoped he'd live up to the hype. But Mendy failed to hit his stride at the King Power Stadium.
Leicester City signed Wilfried Ndidi in the 2017 January transfer window and Mendy was pushed down the pecking order. Despite falling out of favor, Mendy still made 29 appearances across all competitions in the 2020-21 season.
But he was subsequently left out of Leicester City's squad for the 2021-22 campaign. The 29-year-old is very likely to leave the club soon.
#3 Willy Boly (Wolverhampton Wanderers)
Ivory Coast international Willy Boly was one of Nuno Espirito Santo's preferred choices at centre-back for four seasons. He achieved promotion with the side from the EFL Championship and had become a mainstay in their starting lineup.
However, since the Covid-19 break, Boly has not been able to perform at a high standard on a consistent basis. He still made 21 appearances in the Premier League in the 2020-21 season.
But following Nuno Espirito Santo's departure, Boly has become even more of a peripheral figure at the club. He has made just a single appearance this season under Bruno Lage. It came in the League Cup against Tottenham Hotspur.
The 30-year-old is also likely to leave the club in the near future.
#2 Nat Phillips (Liverpool)
In the 2020-21 season, Liverpool had a raft of injury issues to deal with. Their backline was worst hit with three of their first-choice centre-backs sidelined with long-term injuries. With Virgil van Dijk, Joel Matip and Joe Gomez ruled out, the Merseysiders needed their youngsters to step up.
Academy graduates Nat Phillips and Rhys Williams were called up on a regular basis. Phillips made a total of 17 Premier League appearances in the 2020-21 season but unfortunately for him, he looked a bit out of his depth.
Liverpool signed Ibrahima Konate from RB Leipzig this past summer and the competition for a starting spot has further intensified. Phillips has been frozen out of the club and has not played a single minute in the Premier League this term. He is reportedly looking for a move away from the club this month.
#1 Juan Mata (Manchester United)
Juan Mata is a fan favorite at Manchester United. The diminutive attacking midfielder has an endearing personality. He was one of Manchester United's best players under David Moyes, Louis van Gaal and even Jose Mourinho.
Mata is a technically gifted midfielder who added much-needed creativity to an otherwise tepid Manchester United midfield. However, having turned 33, he is well past his prime and just does not have the pace or strength to beat the competition to a starting berth at Manchester United.
United's midfield is already stacked and there simply isn't room for Mata. In 276 appearances for Manchester United, Mata has scored 51 goals and provided 47 assists. He is yet to play a single minute in the Premier League this term and is set to leave the club when his contract expires in the summer.
