Which Premier League players picked up injuries during the International Break?
Football clubs and their fanbases alike hate international breaks. These games, often meaningless friendlies, not only disrupt the momentum of clubs but also see players pick up injuries, causing them to miss club football action. With the first international break of the season now over and the Premier League returning, let’s look at some key players who picked up injuries during the break.
Martin Odegaard
Martin Odegaard picked up what looked like a bad ankle injury playing for Norway in the international break and had to be substituted. This is a cause of massive concern for Mikel Arteta’s men who face arch-rivals Tottenham and then Manchester City. They are awaiting the results of the scans to determine how long he’ll be out. They also have Riccardo Calafiori who returned from the international break with an injury. In case, Odegaard doesn’t make it for the North London derby, Kai Havertz will probably drop into midfield.
Cole Palmer
Cole Palmer missed England duty with a knock but it is expected that he will play some part in Chelsea’s trip to Bournemouth. However, given his importance and the fact that he’s still quite young, Enzo Marcesca will need to look at his workload at some point. Malo Gusto too has picked up a thigh injury and will miss the action, leaving the Blues short of right backs. Marc Cucurella will perhaps fill in for him.
Adam Wharton
Defensive midfielder Adam Wharton couldn’t join the England team due to an issue with his groin and the Crystal Palace faithful will be sweating on his fitness as the out-of-form Eagles go on to play Leicester City this weekend. Palace play 4 games consecutively in 2 weeks so this will be something they need to resolve quickly as Wharton is an important player.
Also Read: Which players have La Liga’s big 3 lost to injury during the International break?
Harvey Elliott
England U21 international Harvey Elliott suffered a fractured foot on international duty with the Young Lions. Initial reports suggest that he will be back by the middle of October. While he’s not a starter, Liverpool have now lost some great depth in the form of him and Curtis Jones’s injury. This could be a real cause of concern for them in a period where the games will be coming thick and fast.
Nathan Ake
Nathan Ake left the field against Germany in the Nation’s League on a stretcher and in tears. It seems to be a muscle injury of some kind. The extent of his injury or how long he would be out for can only be known once the City does their scans etc. Ake no longer is a starter at City and it will be Josko Gvardiol who plays LB anyway, but nevertheless, it’s concerning for Pep Guardiola’s men. City also have other injury worries in the form of Savinho and Phil Foden.