The race for the Champions League is currently the sole competition in the Premier League, but there's an exciting battle ahead of us. Five points separate Manchester City in fourth place from Aston Villa in tenth, and Nottingham Forest along with title-challengers Arsenal could – hopefully – still be drawn into the mix.
Success could largely depend on the influence of players recovering from injuries, and we've identified ten stars likely to make a comeback before the season concludes who could make significant contributions to help their teams.
We have utilized the outstanding Premier Injuries for the anticipated return dates of players, listed in chronological order.
Oscar Bobb (Manchester City) – Upcoming
In the midst of widespread disbelief last season that Manchester City failed to recognize Cole Palmer as the Messiah before letting him join Chelsea and dominate the Premier League, one reason that softened the blow of that clear mistake was Bobb's rise to the first team.
He played only 295 minutes in the Premier League last season, but he showed us plenty, with his quick-footed last-minute goal against Newcastle at St James' Park being the moment we all reluctantly admitted that City had discovered a talented footballer they didn’t even need at that moment. However, football arrives quickly, and they truly require him at this moment.
Nicolas Jackson (Chelsea) – 2nd of March
Christopher Nkunku scored a goal against Southampton, but honestly, if he hadn’t, he might as well have quit this football business. In fact, it’s Pedro Neto who has assumed the central position in Jackson’s absence due to his better movement. However, similar to the situation with Kai Havertz and Arsenal currently, Jackson's absence has led to a strong You Don’t Know What You’ve Got Till It’s Gone sensation.
Certainly, his finishing may not consistently be top-notch, but at least he finds himself in scoring positions, and he appears to be a real challenge to face with his speed and strength, those angular limbs, and a fair share of cunning tricks. Chelsea transform into a different team with him at the forefront.
Romeo Lavia (Chelsea) – March 2nd
Chelsea average 1.8 points per game with Lavia in the squad, while they average 1.7 with Moises Caicedo and 1.67 with Enzo Fernandez. That difference may not appear very notable until you take into account that the average points needed to secure fifth place (almost guaranteeing Champions League qualification in 2024/25) over the past five seasons has been 66 points, with 1.8 PPG resulting in a total of 68.4 points from 38 games, while 1.7 would mean Enzo Maresca’s team falls short at 64.6.
Chelsea not only become more efficient with Lavia on the pitch but also turn into a vastly more engaging team to observe, as his skill to navigate the press by receiving the ball on the half-turn in constrained areas instantly creates every attacking possibility. No other player in the squad is capable of that, which results in Chelsea being typically slow and predictable when he isn't in the lineup. And importantly, Palmer is significantly less efficient.
Harry Wilson (Fulham) – March 5
The sound you hear is us searching for a nice round number, as Fulham have been performing quite well since Wilson broke his foot in the loss to Manchester United at the end of January, winning against Newcastle, Nottingham Forest, and Wolves to earn a spot on this list.
However, the Wales international has definitely contributed this season, netting a stunning stoppage-time double after being subbed on to overcome Brentford, along with the late equalizer at Stamford Bridge before Rodrigo Muniz clinched the victory.
Amadou Onana (Aston Villa) – 8th of March
Conceding forty-five goals after 28 matches is excessively high for a Champions League football club. Only the bottom five have dispatched more, and it would be acceptable if Unai Emery embraced a Tottenham-like punch-for-punch approach, which could actually benefit them as Marcus Rashford enhances their roster of extremely fast and dynamic players on the counterattack. However, they have managed to score just 40 goals, and the Spaniard continues to be fixated on “controlling the game” even though his team struggles to assert and keep that dominance over the match.
There is a noticeable amount of delay at the back that certainly doesn't assist, but their problems often appear to arise from insufficient support from the midfield duo of Youri Tielemans and John McGinn. Both excellent players when at their best – we doubt we could ever grow weary of seeing Tielemans elegantly maneuvering the ball – but they play with a forward mindset, and they would benefit from Onana's substantial strength and presence to counter opposing No.10s, who frequently find it easy against them. No Villa player averages more tackles and interceptions per 90 minutes (4.75).
Joelinton (Newcastle) – March 10th
We really admire both Joe Willock and Lewis Miley, but Joelinton resonates uniquely. Having him in a midfield trio alongside Bruno Guimaraes and Sandro Tonali seems to ensure they've addressed every aspect: Guimaraes receiving the ball under pressure and distributing it smoothly; Tonali moving adeptly and making complex tasks look incredibly easy, weaving everything together; Joelinton persistently challenging opposing players, asserting himself and disrupting their lines.
Bukayo Saka (Arsenal) – March 16
Mikel Arteta asserted prior to their scoreless draw with Nottingham Forest that he would abandon the title chase “over my dead body,” which, considering they now trail Liverpool by 13 points, implies he’s also contemplating the chance of them falling out of the Champions League qualifying positions since fifth-placed Newcastle is ten points behind them.
Saka's comeback will extinguish any chance of what would be an undoubtedly amusing drop into the Europa League.
Marcos Senesi (Bournemouth) – 1st of April
His injury at the end of November created an opportunity in the first team for Dean Huijsen, who is now understandably sought after by virtually everyone, as he is a 6ft 5, two-footed, ball-playing teenage centre-back who must have had Senesi pondering whether he would reclaim his position upon returning after some outstanding performances.
However, Bournemouth have been defeated in the last two matches, and Iraola might believe that 27-year-old Senesi's experience could benefit them during the run-in, even with the impressive performances of 19-year-old Huijsen and 22-year-old Illya Zabarnyi in his absence.
Ferdi Kadioglu (Brighton) – 1st of April
The Turkish international was considered a significant signing during the summer, as Kadioglu avoided a crisis by choosing Brighton despite significant interest from Manchester United. He was instead sidelined by an injury early in the season and has been absent from the last 17 Premier League matches due to a hurt toe.
He experienced a setback against Liverpool after scoring an incredible goal that made everyone pay attention during that same match.
Rodri (Manchester City) – 1st of June
You may observe that the return date falls after the season concludes, yet Rodri has expressed a desire to play. Although Pep Guardiola will be cautious about bringing him back too early, should City find themselves needing victories at the season's end to secure a Champions League spot and avoid being significantly harmed by PSR—assuming they haven't already suffered extensive damage from the Premier League itself—utilizing a Ballon d'Or winner who is 90 percent fit will undoubtedly be seen as a gamble worth taking.
We’re equally intrigued to observe the impact he could have this season, instead of holding out for his comeback next term, when it may be less obvious after what we anticipate will be a significant player overhaul whether City’s poor performance was truly tied to his injury.
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