The Premier League has never fallen short of surprises. Following six weeks of footballing action, this season has been no different. West Ham and Stoke City finished 7th and 9th respectively last season but however have made disastrous starts this season and are currently positioned among the bottom-three in the table.
Matchday 7 will also be followed by an international break and the club managers will hope that their fit players do not succumb to injuries when on international duty. Moving into Matchday 7, the bottom placed teams will be hoping to get back to winning ways while the top teams will be looking forward to keep their momentum intact before the international break.
This weekend also witnesses a face-off between the only two unbeaten teams so far, Manchester City and Tottenham. To the agony of the fans of both teams, a player from each of the sides makes this list!
Let us now take a look at five key players who are ruled out of Matchday 7 owing to injuries.
#1 Kevin De Bruyne
In the face-off between the only two unbeaten sides in the league so far, Pep Guardiola will be without the services of his star player Kevin De Bruyne. The Belgian picked up a hamstring injury during the 3-1 victory against Swansea last week and is likely to be out for over two weeks.
Having already scored two goals and provided four assists, De Bruyne has been in incredible form this season helping Pep Guardiola win his first six league fixtures. Ruled out for over two weeks, Pep will strongly hope that the playmaker will recover in time for the crucial Champions League clash against Barcelona on October 19.
#2 Harry Kane
While De Bruyne misses out for Manchester City, Harry Kane will watch the match from the stands for Tottenham Hotspur. In the league fixture against Sunderland on September 18, Kane suffered an ankle injury while attempting a tackle shortly after scoring a goal which turned out to be the winner.
It will be interesting to see how Spurs fare against the leaders, Manchester City, without their star striker. Tottenham manager Mauricio Pochettino has confirmed that Kane will be out for over four weeks and will hopefully recover before the North London derby on November 6.
#3 Francis Coquelin
Francis Coquelin has become an integral part of the Arsenal team since his return from a loan spell at Championship side Charlton Athletic in 2014. Known for his high work rate and defensive robustness, the Frenchman has repeatedly proved with his performances that he has more than what it takes to break down the gameplay of any opposition.
Arsenal fans all over the world rejoiced a solid 3-0 victory against city rivals Chelsea last week. However, to their agony, the same fixture also witnessed a knee injury to Coquelin. The combative midfielder was later spotted leaving the Emirates in a knee brace and is likely to miss as many as three weeks of footballing action.
On the other hand, Arsene Wenger will hope that Coquelin’s injury may just be a blessing in disguise. Arsenal’s summer signing Granit Xhaka will now partner Santi Cazorla in midfield. Xhaka is a more refined player and adds another dimension to the attack with a wide passing range and a lethal left foot. Arsene will hope that the Swiss midfielder grabs the opportunity and proves the hefty price tag beside his name.
#4 Leighton Baines
Everton made an impressive start to the Premier League picking up 13 points in the first five fixtures. However, the Toffees have tasted defeat in their last two fixtures, one in the EFL Cup and the other in the league. A key player who missed out on both these fixtures is Leighton Baines.
Baines failed to make an appearance in the EFL Cup fixture against Norwich City and in the league fixture against Bournemouth owing to a hamstring problem. However, he hoped that he could return for the fixture against Alan Pardew’s side. Failing to recover in time, Everton manager Ronald Koeman will face an uphill task of returning to winning ways without the services of the veteran left-back.
#5 Adnan Januzaj
Adnan Januzaj is currently loaned out to Sunderland, where he is playing under Manchester United’s former manager David Moyes hoping for first team football. The talented youngster has been a starter at the club having already made seven appearances whilst scoring a stunning winner in the EFL Cup fixture.
Januzaj, who was slowly growing in confidence with a string of appreciable performances, has suffered a setback after sustaining an ankle injury during last weekend’s 3-2 defeat to Crystal Palace. He has been ruled out for at least six weeks and with Sunderland being placed at the bottom of the table, things have just gotten worse for Moyes’s side.
