With over half of the season finished, European leagues are in full flow, with the typical suspects dominating their respective competitions. While several prominent players have lived up to their reputations and hype thus far, others have failed to find playing time at their respective teams.
Here are five Premier League players that have struggled to find playing time this season
Donny van de Beek (Manchester United): 7 minutes
Many have been perplexed by Donny van de Beek’s predicament at Manchester United, given that he has battled for game time under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer despite the Red Devils’ recent poor form. To be honest, it’s perplexing that the Dutchman has only played seven minutes in the league so far.
Joe Gomez (Liverpool): 14 minutes
Joe Gomez has dropped down the Liverpool pecking order, and while one might argue that he has not fully recovered from knee surgery last season, 14 minutes is still a very little amount of time for a player of his ability. It’ll be intriguing to see if he can rack up more minutes as the season develops and the fixtures pile up thick and fast.
Saul (Chelsea): 48 minutes
After joining Chelsea on loan from Atletico Madrid in the summer, much was anticipated of Saul, but the Spaniard has struggled to remove the Blues’ regular midfielders from the starting XI. The Spaniard has only played for 48 minutes and is understood to be unhappy by his lack of playing time thus far.
Oleksandr Zinchenko (Manchester City): 57 minutes
Oleksandr Zinchenko’s lack of playing time this season is surprising, given that Pep Guardiola has used him frequently in the past. The 24-year-old has only made two league games so far, and if the situation does not change soon, he may look for a move away next summer.
Bryan Gil (Tottenham Hotspur): 62 minutes
Bryan Gil was signed for £21 million by Tottenham Hotspur in a fee part-exchange deal with Sevilla, with Erik Lamela moving the other way. The teenager, who is still getting used to life in England, is yet to make an appearance regularly, with Nuno Espirito Santo preferring to utilize him in Europe rather than the league.
