Injuries have hugely affected a number of teams this season, with Arsenal, Liverpool and Manchester United all suffering. Read the top 10 most crucial here – in no particular order:
SEE ALSO: Best Football Manager wonderkids
Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain (Arsenal)
Dates absent: 17/08/2013 – 07/01/2014
Arsenal had a nightmare first game of the season. Not only were they picked off on the counter and beaten 3-1 by Aston Villa, Laurent Koscielny was unfortunate to concede a penalty and be sent off, and to top it all off, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain sustained a knee injury that ruled him out for half the season.
The England midfielder-cum-winger had been one of the bright sparks for the Gunners early in the game, assisting Olivier Giroud’s opening goal, and Arsenal’s season – while encouraging – could have been even better with the Ox fit.
A brace upon his return to the starting line-up in January against Crystal Palace, and goal and assist against Liverpool illustrated his ability to make a positive impact.
Wayne Rooney (Manchester United)
Dates absent: 01/09/2013, 02/01/2014 – 23/01/2014
Manchester United have not done well in the games Wayne Rooney has missed.
In September, he suffered a head injury in training, and the Red Devils subsequently succumbed rather meekly to arch rivals Liverpool.
He also missed just over three weeks in January with a groin complaint (arf), missing both legs of Man Utd’s Capital One Cup semi-final exit against Sunderland, as well as the FA Cup defeat to Swansea City, and Premier League loss to Chelsea.
Incidentally, Manchester United also lost to Newcastle United when Rooney was suspended in October. Perhaps it is not all David Moyes’ fault after all.
Theo Walcott (Arsenal)
Dates absent: 22/09/2013 – 21/11/2013, 06/01/2014 – 01/07/2014
Theo Walcott missed two months in the first half of the season due to an abdominal injury, and in January his season was cut short by the rupture of his cruciate knee ligament.
The England flyer is not only one of Arsenal’s most productive players, scoring five goals and supplying five assists in his 13 appearances of the campaign, but also makes the Gunners play better.
Opposition sides have to drop deeper when Walcott plays, as his lightning pace sprinting through the lines can prove devastating to a high line.
That leads to additional space for the likes of Mesut Ozil, Santi Cazorla, Jack Wilshere and Aaron Ramsey to operate in, and Ozil’s recent malaise could at least be partially attributed to Walcott’s absence.
Michu (Swansea City)
Dates absent: 03/11/2013 – 02/12/2013, 24/12/2013 – 01/02/2014
Michu scored 18 goals and provided 2 assists in his 35 Premier League matches last season, and was a major factor in Swansea City’s hugely encouraging debut season in the top flight.
The Spanish forward has been absent for much of the current campaign though, with a sprained ankle and knee issues restricting him to appearances in less than half the south Wales side’s Premier League matches.
Michael Laudrup began the season as coach, and hoped to build upon Swansea’s passing game with a fine partnership between Michu and Wilfried Bony, but barely had the chance.
New interim coach Gary Monk will hope he has better luck.
Lucas Leiva (Liverpool)
Dates absent: 20/01/2014 – 28/02/2014
Liverpool have the most exciting attack in the Premier League.
Strikers Luis Suarez and Daniel Sturridge are the two top scorers in the division, while they are ably supported by the likes of the rapidly improving Raheem Sterling, the creative Philippe Coutinho, Jordan Henderson’s industry and veteran Steven Gerrard pulling the strings.
However, Brendan Rodgers’ men have been rather porous at the back in comparison with top four rivals Chelsea, Arsenal and Manchester City at the top of the table, who have conceded 21, 27 and 27 goals in respectively.
Liverpool have conceded 35 in 27 games, and while their form hasn’t been damaged too much due to the continued prolific form of their forward players, the return of Lucas could balance the team.
Aaron Ramsey (Arsenal)
Dates absent: 26/12/2013 – 14/03/2014 (estimated)
Aaron Ramsey has been one of Arsenal’s best players this season, scoring 13 times and providing 7 assists in his 27 games.
The Wales international midfielder is the perfect box to box foil to Gunners holding players Mikel Arteta or Mathieu Flamini, with his surefire instincts of when to move forward and when to stay back ensuring few opposition sides break through the middle, and he struck up a fine relationship with Mesut Ozil when the two played together.
While the likes of Jack Wilshere, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Santi Cazorla have stepped up with goals and assists in his absence, the return of Aaron Ramsey for Arsenal will be eagerly awaited by the club’s fans.
Robin Van Persie (Manchester United)
Dates absent: 11/12/2013 – 22/01/2014, 12/11/2013 – 05/12/2013
The reported intensity of Manchester United training under David Moyes has resulted in the return of Robin Van Persie’s injury problems after two largely injury free campaigns at Arsenal under Arsene Wenger and Old Trafford under Sir Alex Ferguson.
Van Persie has been prolific when fit, scoring 11 goals in his 16 appearances, but Manchester United’s impressive run of form was arrested when he suffered a groin strain in November.
The Red Devils subsequently dropped points to Cardiff City, Tottenham Hotspur and Everton before David Moyes gambled on an early comeback for the Dutchman against Newcastle United.
The clearly unfit Van Persie jogged around the pitch gingerly in a 0-1 defeat, and promptly injured his hamstring, missing the next seven Premier League games – including losses to Spurs and Chelsea – and FA Cup and Capital One Cup exits.
Danny Rose (Tottenham Hotspur)
Dates absent: 20/09/2013 – 10/12/2013, 24/02/2014 – ongoing
Andre Villas spent much of his final season in charge of Tottenham Hotspur with a shortage of options at left back, with Benoit Assou-Ekotto sent on loan to Queens Park Rangers, and Danny Rose injured.
That meant the Portuguese boss had to shift the club’s best centre half Jan Vertonghen over to full back, a decision the Belgian publicly stated his unhappiness with, and either Vlad Chiriches had to be quickly integrated earlier than intended, or Kyle Naughton had to be played.
With the White Hart Lane attack misfiring in the first half of the season, additional pressure was placed on the Spurs defence. Rose’s absences did not help AVB, and there is no date set for his return from his current knee issue.
Sergio Aguero (Manchester City)
Dates absent: 28/09/2013 – 01/10/2013, 14/12/2013 – 13/01/2014, 29/01/2014 – 01/03/2014
Sergio Aguero has the very best goals to minutes played ratio in the big five European leagues this term – better than La Liga superstars Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi, and Premier League top scorers Luis Suarez and Daniel Sturridge.
It is therefore a reasonable suggestion that had the Argentine been fit for the entirety of the season, the Argentine forward would have added to his tallies of 26 goals and 12 assists in 25 games for Man City, and the Etihad Stadium outfit could well be clear at the top of the table in the English top flight.
Daniel Agger (Liverpool)
Dates absent: 09/01/2014 – 08/02/2014
When Daniel Agger is injured, and fellow centre back Mamadou Sakho is unavailable, Brendan Rodgers has no choice but to call upon Kolo Toure.
Once part of a record setting Arsenal defence, Toure is now a tragicomedy of a player.
Defensive errors are so commonplace they no longer surprise, while an astonishing own goal almost lost Liverpool the game at relegation favourites Fulham last month.
Agger’s return is most welcome to Brendan Rodgers – and the mental well being of Reds fans.