Injured players

No Ronaldo? No Problem!

The Premier League might have lost Cristiano Ronaldo to La Liga but the league still has some great players. There were a few players who missed large parts of last season through injury and should be fit and raring to go in time for the new season, or at least at some point next season. Here is a list of five players I’ll be glad too see back in action.

Joe Cole, Chelsea

Sometimes described as an ‘English Brazilian’ for his trickery and playmaking abilities Cole hasn’t seen much action in 2009. Reports suggest he has recovered now though and should be in Chelsea’s plans at the start of the new campaign. The 27-year-old has been doing a bit of punditry while sidelined but he is much more effective on the pitch and could be just like a new signing when he returns at Stamford Bridge next season.

Owen Hargreaves, Manchester United

Double knee-surgery midway through the last campaign have kept Hargreaves sidelined for quite some time. In truth the last two years have been particularly hard for the Canadian Englishman, as he has suffered frequently from his recurring knee-injuries. There were fears his career could have been shortened by those operations and his persistent problems but it looks as if he will be fit for United next term. Darren Fletcher won many plaudits at Old Trafford last season but I’m not sure how many games he would have started had the 28-year-old Hargreaves been fit.

Tomáš Rosický, Arsenal

Rosicky was expected to return at the start of last season but ended up missing the entire campaign. This was obviously a massive blow to the Czech ace and he hasn’t played for over 18 months now. It remains to be seen whether the 28-year-old will reach the same kind of form he had before his injury. However, he has a vast range of passes and some great skills in his repertoire so I for one am confident it won’t take him long to return to form.

Yakubu, Everton

You could argue that Everton didn’t really miss the Nigerian striker last season after he was ruled out in November. They still finished fifth and got to the FA Cup final without a recognised striker for large parts of the season but I’m sure everyone at Goodison will be eager to welcome him back. The 26-year-old is the highest scoring African in Premier League history and on his day is one of the best in the business.

Eduardo, Arsenal

Another Gunner Arsene Wenger could have done with last season. When Birmingham City’s Martin Taylor broke the Brazilian/Croats leg in 2008 it looked as if his career was over. Thankfully he returned of sorts last season as Wenger tentatively introduced him back into the Arsenal side. He managed to bag a goal or two in Arsenal’s cup runs last season and should make a massive difference to the Gunners’ fortunes next season. With Eduardo and Rosicky back the Premier League betting odds may shorten on Arsenal winning the title next year despite their relatively poor showing last campaign.

I know I’ve probably missed a few important players out of this list (Michael Owen perhaps?) but for me these five are the players I’m looking forward to seeing return the most. The season is still a few weeks away and I’m already getting anxious, perhaps more so than a man involved in GAA betting who knows nothing about the Gaelic arts. Ronaldo may have opted for Spain but the Premier League still has plenty of talent and it should be another great season.

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