We look at the players set to feature after a period on the sidelines, including Manchester City and Leicester City stars.
The Premier League resumes this weekend after the international break, and it should prove to be a mouthwatering two days of action, with the Manchester derby taking centre stage.
The weekend also sees a number of high-profile players hoping to be fit after injury doubts since their last league game. Here are just five who will be hoping to feature this weekend:
Bacary Sagna
Manchester City full-back Sagna has been on the sidelines since the club’s opening-day defeat of Sunderland due to a persistent hamstring injury.
He has seen his place in the starting XI taken by Pablo Zabaleta but, with a return imminent, Sagna can look forward to some healthy competition with his teammate over the right-back position.
Kyle Walker
England international Walker was taken ill during Tottenham’s 1-1 draw with Liverpool at White Hart Lane last time out, but this did not stop him from missing out on an inclusion in Three Lions boss Sam Allardyce’s recent squad for the victory over Slovakia, in which Walker played the full 90 minutes.
The right-back is set to retain his place in his club side in time for this weekend’s clash against Stoke at the Bet365 Stadium, resuming his role as the club’s first-choice right-back.
Kasper Schmeichel
Leicester City goalkeeper Kasper Schmeichel was replaced by Ron-Robert Zieler in the 57th minute of the Premier League champions’ 2-1 win over Swansea City in their last league game, and it was later announced the 29-year-old had been diagnosed with hernia troubles.
With a two-week recovery window now behind him, the Danish international is in contention to retain his place in the starting XI for the trip to Liverpool on Saturday’s late kick-off.
Sadio Mane
Liverpool summer signing Sadio Mane picked up an injury on international duty with Senegal last weekend, and there were fears he would spend an extended spell out of action.
But the 24-year-old himself has announced that he will be fit for the Reds’ home game against Premier League champions Leicester on Saturday, having trained with the rest of the squad at their Melwood training ground in midweek.
This is an announcement that is to sure to relieve many Liverpool fans ahead of what will be an important contest early in the season.
Aaron Ramsey
Ramsey has been on the sidelines since injuring his hamstring during Arsenal’s opening-day defeat to Liverpool, but whether he is named in the Gunners’ squad for the club’s home encounter against Southampton remains to be seen, given the competition for places in the Arsenal midfield.
Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger may not want to risk bringing the Wales international back so early, especially with clashes against Paris-Saint Germain and Chelsea looming, but Ramsey’s return would certainly give the Frenchman more options across the midfield.
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