The Premier League Stars Who Vanished From Sight
This Premier League season has seen several high-profile players completely disappear from first-team action, despite their previous prominence and substantial transfer fees. From England internationals to promising young talents, a surprising number of footballers have become peripheral figures at their clubs.
Chelsea's Costly Outcasts
Raheem Sterling, once considered a marquee £50m signing from Manchester City, now finds himself training separately from Chelsea's main squad. The four-time Premier League champion, who was England's standout performer at Euro 2020, has been relegated to what's known as Chelsea's "bomb squad" - training on different pitches at different times with limited facility access.
Since Sterling's arrival, Chelsea have undergone dramatic changes with five different managers taking charge and more than £500m spent on wingers alone. Despite this turmoil, the 30-year-old continues to benefit from the five-year contract he signed in 2022, worth £325,000 per week.
Fellow Chelsea defender Axel Disasi has joined Sterling in exile, despite having played for France in a World Cup final. The £38.7m signing from Monaco made just six Premier League appearances before manager Enzo Maresca decided he was surplus to requirements. Poor one-on-one defending and lack of composure on the ball saw him fall behind six other centre-backs in the pecking order.
Manchester United's Forgotten Man
Tyrell Malacia arrived at Manchester United nearly four years ago as the first signing of Erik ten Hag's rebuild. The 22-year-old from Feyenoord appeared in 39 matches during his debut season before suffering a meniscus injury that kept him sidelined for 550 days.
By the time Malacia returned, United had new owners, a new manager and a reshaped squad. Despite gaining valuable experience during a loan spell with PSV where he helped them win the Eredivisie title, the Dutch full-back returned to find himself part of United's own bomb squad. A solitary appearance on the bench against Brighton in October offered brief hope, but his future at Old Trafford appears limited.
Brighton's Long-Serving Absentee
Solly March, Brighton's second longest-serving player after Lewis Dunk, hasn't been seen since April following a series of knee injuries. The winger, who joined the club in 2011 when Gus Poyet was manager, made his first start in 533 days against West Ham last season only to suffer another knee injury days later.
March had previously been sidelined for 14 months with an ACL injury, and with just eight starts last season, injuries are gradually edging the Brighton legend out of the picture at the Amex Stadium.
Liverpool's Faded Hero and Brentford's Unfortunate Talent
Rhys Williams emerged as an unlikely hero during Liverpool's injury-ravaged 2020-21 season, making 19 appearances including six in the Champions League at just 19 years old. The defender helped Liverpool secure third place despite the absence of Virgil van Dijk, Joe Gomez and Joël Matip.
However, Williams disappeared as quickly as he arrived. Four seasons and five loan spells later, he hasn't made another first-team appearance for Liverpool.
Fábio Carvalho faces perhaps the cruelest fate of all. The 23-year-old, once described by Jürgen Klopp as "a player who can bring a stadium to its feet," has seen his progress hampered by limited opportunities. After struggling for game time at Liverpool and RB Leipzig, his £27.5m move to Brentford promised regular football.
Instead, Carvalho started just four league games and had played only 96 minutes this season before rupturing his anterior cruciate ligament in training last week, ruling him out for the remainder of the campaign.
These players' stories highlight the precarious nature of professional football, where today's star can quickly become tomorrow's forgotten man, regardless of past achievements or transfer fees.
