Injuries are one of the harsh realities of any sport, and football is no exception. They’re the great equalizer of the athletic world, and can strike anyone at any time. Once-promising careers can be shattered in one terrible instant, or gradually worn away thanks to one trip to the physio’s room after another.
Injured English stars could make large Premier League impact
Daniel Sturridge and Jack Wilshere have the ability to play huge roles for their teams -- if they can stay healthy.
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That's been the case for two English would-be stars in particular -- Liverpool's Daniel Sturridge and Arsenal's Jack Wilshere. Both have been plagued by a variety of injuries over the last few years -- Sturridge with knee and leg muscle issues, Wilshere with one ankle injury after another. When both players were 18, it seemed like the sky was the limit. Now, at 25 for Sturrdige and 23 for Wilshere, many people are wondering what they have left.
Sturridge played just 16 all-competitions matches last season, ruining any momentum he had from the explosive campaign he had the year before. Sturridge has always been productive when he manages to stay healthy, but the trouble is that he rarely stays healthy. Three different times last season, Sturridge had rejoined Liverpool training and was days away from taking the field again, only to get laid low by the injury bug once more. The loss was a devastating one for Liverpool, who didn’t have enough depth up front to properly deal with his absence.
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For Wilshere, he only managed 15 matches of mostly limited impact, and in many of his games it was clear he wasn’t at 100 percent health. It’s the third straight injury-shortened season Wilshere has had to deal with, and the end result is that he’s still basically the same player he was three years ago -- he simply hasn’t had enough consistent runs of games to develop properly, all because his body won’t hold together long enough.
While Arsenal would dearly love for Wilshere to get “right” and finally become the player he’s capable of being, and Liverpool would love the same for Sturridge, neither team can afford to rely on that happening right now. They need to plan for their seasons to not involve their injury-prone stars -- but that also allows the pair an opportunity: to serve as a sort of secret weapon for their teams.
You see, with both squads seemingly willing to go on without their fragile players -- Liverpool signed Christian Benteke and Arsenal have been linked with a number of midfielders who could replace Wilshere in the transfer market. That lets both teams build a strong side without needing a miracle from either Sturridge or Wilshere, maintaining a balance in the team even when they're not available.
That sets up the chance for these two highly talented players to take a little extra time in working their way back, to get completely healthy before returning to the field. And if they can get healthy, and if they can stay that way ... two good teams could get a whole lot better and a whole lot more dangerous.
Just imagine Liverpool with a healthy and rampaging Sturridge back in the side. With Philippe Coutinho and new man Roberto Firmino available to play off him, with their rebuilt midfield, he might be unstoppable. And with Benteke in the side? That might not be fair. Brendan Rodgers loves to tweak his tactics to get all of his best players in good positions, so just dream of the possibilities -- will one of Benteke or Sturridge sit and be a game-changing substitute? Will they play together? If they do, who’s the danger man? Is that high setup from Benteke a decoy to create space, or are they going long? Is that run from Sturridge the threat, or is it a dummy to take attention from Benteke or Coutinho or Firmino? The possibilities are endless, and the potential for an explosive attack would be unreal.
And what about Wilshere at Arsenal? Can you think of what introducing him to their existing midfield rotation could do? The thought of Arsene Wenger having the luxury to pick any three of a fit Wilshere, Alexis Sanchez, Mesut Özil, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, Aaron Ramsey, Theo Walcottor and Santi Cazorla is mind-boggling, especially when you consider that whoever sits from that incredible set would be available from the bench to chance the face of the match. Arsenal’s attack could be absolutely incredible next season even without Wilshere -- but with him, there might simply be too many threats, too many options to account for.
But first, Sturridge and Wilshere have to get healthy. History suggests that will be a struggle, but if they do get there, they could help change the face of the Premier League season. Get well, lads. The entertainment of football fans everywhere need you.
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