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In a physical sport like football, injuries are inevitable, which is why most top clubs keep large squads so that they remain competitive even when their key players get injured.
Considering the demands of the modern game, most first-team players, especially ones playing in the top European leagues, play up to 50 games a season. That requires players to stay in peak physical condition so that they do not burn out at the fag end of the season when titles are decided.
Nevertheless, despite the meticulous planning and game management in place, key players do get injured. Quite a few such players got injured last season, missing large swathes of the campaign, but are slated to return to action this campaign.
On that note, let's have a look at five such players, in no particular order:
#5 Harvey Barnes
Harvey Barnes is one of the most exciting young players in the Premier League. The 23-year-old winger, who plays for Leicester City, has made over 100 appearances for the 2015-16 champions, registering an impressive 36 goal contributions (15 goals, 21 assists).
Barnes played 25 games last season before he suffered a knee injury in Leicester's defeat to Arsenal in a Premier League game in March. However, a setback in his recovery meant he had to undergo a second surgery, which ruled him out of the season.
That meant Barnes, who scored a career-best nine league goals last season, also missed Euro 2020 for England. The winger has returned to action this season but is apparently not yet up to full fitness.
Manager Brendan Rodgers will hope Barnes, who is the subject of interest from Liverpool, is back to full fitness soon, as the player is an integral one in the Leicester City set-up.
#4 Anthony Martial
Anthony Martial had an injury-plagued 2020-21 campaign for Manchester United, managing only five strikes in 32 games across competitions. However, he hasn't featured for the club since sustaining a knee injury while playing a FIFA World Cup 2022 qualifier for France against Kazakhstan in March.
Manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer recently provided an encouraging update on Martial, saying:
“Anthony Martial has also joined us, but he has not joined the team training yet. He’s recovering from the knee injury and that looks good.
Despite an underwhelming campaign last season after a stellar one in 2019-20, Martial, who has scored 78 times in over 250 games for the club, remains a key player for Solskjaer.
#3 Joe Gomez
After arriving from Charlton Athletic in the summer of 2015, Joe Gomez has had an injury-riddled stint at Liverpool.
Nevertheless, the 23-year-old centre-back has played a key role at the heart of Liverpool's defence alongside Virgil Van Dijk. Gomez has made over 120 appearances in all competitions for the club, and has featured in their triumphs in the Champions League and Premier League in successive seasons.
However, Gomez suffered a left knee injury while on international duty with England in November last year and has been out of action since then.
Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp recently provided an update on Gomez's injury, saying:
"That’s the thing, these boys are not injured anymore, they are just not at 100 per cent yet. There are usually setbacks, but so far there were no setbacks with Joe and Virgil and nobody (else) – they are all fine."
Gomez returned to first-team action in July, appearing as a second-half substitute in Liverpool's 3-4 friendly loss to Hertha Berlin in a pre-season game. He was, however, an unused substitute in the Reds' opening-day victory over Norwich City in the 2021-22 Premier League.
#2 Ansu Fati
Barcelona teenager Ansu Fati is one of the most talented La Masia graduates in the era after a certain Lionel Messi, who exited Barcelona this summer.
After bursting onto the scene in 2019-20, where Fati became the youngest scorer in the Champions League, the striker has seen more game-time under new Barcelona manager Ronald Koeman.
The teenage prodigy netted five goals for the club last season. But Barcelona were dealt a huge blow when Fati tore the meniscus in his left knee in a La Liga win over Real Betis in November.
The 18-year-old has suffered several setbacks in his bid to return to action and missed Barcelona's 2021-22 La Liga season opener against Real Sociedad. Nevertheless, Koeman believes Fati is one of several Barcelona players who will have to step up after the departure of their all-time top scorer Lionel Messi, saying:
"It's not always one player, you have to do it together. Hopefully, we get players back from injury like Ansu Fati and Coutinho and then we still have a strong squad. We will work harder, we will do more to achieve what people expect from us. We are still in the transition. We have to understand that the start of this season is difficult."
#1 Virgil Van Dijk
Virgil Van Dijk has been the defensive lynchpin for Liverpool since arriving at the club three years ago.
The Dutchman, widely regarded as one of the finest centre-backs in the game, has been one of the key players in Jurgen Klopp's team. He played every league game for Liverpool in 2018-19 and 2019-20, helping the club win their first English top-flight title in three decades last season.
However, in the Anfield derby against Everton earlier last season, Van Dijk damaged his knee ligaments following a challenge from Jordan Pickford. He was subsequently ruled out for the season. In Van Dijk's absence, Liverpool's title defence imploded spectacularly, but the club managed to recover and finish third.
The Dutchman returned to action after a nine-month layoff in Liverpool's 3-0 win over Norwich City in their 2021-22 Premier League season opener.
With Van Dijk back, Liverpool put up an improved display to kickstart their campaign for a second league win in three years.
