Ranking all 97(!) players left out of opening Premier League matchday squads by how p*ssed off they might be
So that’s matchday one of the new Premier League season in the books.
We can already jerk those knees and draw some pretty nailed-on conclusions based on what we saw, but how about what we didn’t see?
Here, then, is a list of all those players who didn’t even make it as far as the bench on the opening weekend of the season, ranked by how p*ssed off they might be feeling about it.
And no we didn’t fully understand when we started just how massive this was going to get. We are and remain idiots incapable of working out the kind of final answer a sum roughly working out at 20 x 5 might produce. But we are also blaming Sunderland for having just too many players and turning our brain into absolute mush.
On which note, sorry if any injured or suspended players have slipped through the net here. Call us names in the comments by all means. But we’ve tried our best to sieve them out, as well as not including any players signed in the few days or so before the opening games for whom day-one absence is largely to be expected.
97) Renato Veiga (Chelsea)
He’s off to Villarreal, with Chelsea somehow turning a profit and even securing a 40% sell-on clause. It’s essentially witchcraft at this point.
96) Carlos Miguel (Nottingham Forest)
The Brazilian keeper has since returned to his homeland and signed for Palmeiras after a single year in Nottingham spent almost exclusively watching Matz Sels from the bench. Fair enough, in every way from every angle.
95) Marko Stamenic (Nottingham Forest)
Midfielder who arrived in 2024, spent a season at Olympiakos and has now left on a permanent deal to Swansea. Nothing to see here.
94) Andrew Moran (Brighton)
On his way to play alongside Son Heung-min at LAFC. There are worse loan moves, we reckon.
93) Alex Moreno (Aston Villa)
On his way to Girona any moment now.
92) Leon Bailey (Aston Villa)
Joined Roma on loan this week, which was nice, and then immediately got injured during his first training session, which was not.
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91) John Ruddy (Newcastle)
Possibly the peak veteran-keeper-having-a-lovely-time among the third-choicers in the Premier League now Scott Carson has finally bowed out as a hero and national treasure.
90) Remi Matthews (Crystal Palace)
More absolutely textbook ‘veteran third-choice keeper living his best life’ areas here.
89) Freddie Woodman (Liverpool)
We’d imagine Woodman was under no illusions about his status when joining Liverpool this summer.
88) Armin Pecsi (Liverpool)
There’s a lot of hype around the young Hungarian keeper, but he’s clearly one for the future rather than present.
87) Tom McGill (Brighton)
The Canadian keeper has been with Brighton since he was 14 and signed a contract extension this summer that will mean he’s spent almost half his life at Brighton if he sees it out. Has never played a first-team game for them.
86) Ellery Balcombe (Brentford)
Spells at St Mirren and Motherwell last season took his tally of loan moves to nine during his Brentford career, with every chance he hits double figures in the next week or so.
85) Mark Gillespie (Newcastle)
Extended his contract in the summer for another year, presumably in full and happy knowledge of precisely what his role would be, and that this role was not ‘first-choice goalkeeper for Champions League club’.
84) Brandon Austin (Tottenham)
Did himself no harm when called upon on occasion in the depths of Tottenham’s injury hell last season, but very much third choice behind Guglielmo Vicario and Antonin Kinsky at this time. That he was also the only fit and available first-team-adjacent player at Spurs who wasn’t named in Thomas Frank’s first Premier League matchday squad is definitely nothing to worry about.
83) Vaclav Hladky (Burnley)
Made one appearance for Burnley in the Championship. Odds-against to match that in the Premier League even without James Trafford in the way.
82) Alex Paulsen (Bournemouth)
The Kiwi back-up keeper has been linked with a move north of the border, with St Mirren and Hibernian both interested.
81) Matthew Cox (Brentford)
Fourth-choice keeper at this moment. Will either go out on loan himself, or be promoted to third-choice keeper when Ellery Balcombe gets the tenth loan of his Brentford career.
80) Blondy Nna Noukou (Sunderland)
Reserve keeper who made it as far as the bench in four Championship games last season. Can’t have been too surprised to see his name missing from the first Premier League squad of the season.
79) Luis Sinisterra (Bournemouth)
An injury-hit campaign last season has been followed by a summer of uncertainty. Left out of the Friday night trip to Liverpool as talks continued over a loan to Cruzeiro in Brazil.
78) Daniel Bentley (Wolves)
Did play a couple of Premier League games late last season, but still has Jose Sa and Sam Johnstone and thus is, we imagine, well aware of his place. Plus being as far away as possible from a 4-0 home defeat to Man City is probably quite shrewd in the long run.
77) Simon Moore (Sunderland)
Mid-30s keepers signed to be back-up in the Championship very rarely move up that pecking order after promotion.
76) Alex Cairns (Leeds)
Played one Championship game for Leeds. In 2011/12. Returned to the club last season and surely knows exactly where he stands, which isn’t necessarily true for all spare Leeds keepers at this time.
75) Gabriel Slonina (Chelsea)
A Club World Cup winner despite not yet playing a senior game for Chelsea, but no goalkeeper on the Blues’ books can be without a chance. It is a position where Chelsea have enormous breadth but no actual depth.
74) Lewis Dobbin (Aston Villa)
One of last season’s entirely normal and unremarkable late June transfers between clubs in PSR strife and there was absolutely nothing to see here. Has yet to play a game for Aston Villa and that’s unlikely to change this season or, very possibly, ever. Spent last season on loan at West Brom and then Norwich, and another Championship loan is surely on the cards.
73) Ian Poveda (Sunderland)
Didn’t feature in pre-season, didn’t feature in the opening-day win over West Ham, is very obviously clear to leave the club. Did contribute a pair of assists for the Under-21s in a 5-3 defeat to Tottenham on Monday night.
72) Chris Mepham (Bournemouth)
Had a brilliant season on loan at Sunderland and there was plenty of expectation that might become a more permanent arrangement. Now apparently on the radar of Wrexham who – little-known fact for you here – have famous owners.
71) Romain Faivre (Bournemouth)
Left Lyon for the south coast in the summer of 2023 but has still spent far more time in France than England since then after loans at Lorient and Brest. Has made only five brief substitute appearances in the Premier League and doesn’t appear likely to add to those any time soon.
70) Timothee Pembele (Sunderland)
Fell out of favour last season, spent time on loan with Le Havre in France, is not part of the Black Cats’ grand Premier League plans.
69) Abdoullah Ba (Sunderland)
Fell out of favour last season, spent time on loan with USL Dunkerque in France, is not part of the Black Cats’ grand Premier League plans.
68) Ashley Barnes (Burnley)
Joined Burnley for a third time after signing from Norwich in January following 18 months away and declared he had ‘unfinished business’ upon signing a one-year extension to that short-term deal in the summer. Certainly brings vast top-flight experience to the Clarets, but the nagging question is how much chance he’ll get to bring that experience to bear on the actual pitch. Get the sense this is unofficially almost a player-coach role.
67) Jay Matete (Sunderland)
Spent last season on loan with Bolton in League One. Seems unlikely to now force his way into a bolstered Premier League-ready squad.
66) Hannes Delcroix (Burnley)
Spent the second half of last season on loan at Swansea and appears unlikely to add to his 12 Premier League appearances from 23/24.
65) David Carmo (Nottingham Forest)
Went out on loan to Olympiacos straight after signing for Forest last summer, and it’s important not to look at who owns Olympiacos. Appears to be available for another temporary move at least this summer.
64) Joe Anderson (Sunderland)
Made his first Sunderland start 811 days after signing during that fun and ultimately justified period late in the season when Regis Le Bris was resting all his key players for the play-offs. Unlikely to see how that translates to Premier League opportunities now.
63) Etienne Green (Burnley)
We very much enjoy the fact the Anglo-French goalkeeper played for Saint-Etienne. And actually played, too, which hasn’t been the case since joining Burnley last summer. Presumably because his name is not Etienne Burnley.
62) Emmanuel Dennis (Nottingham Forest)
In the last year – and realistically surely last days – of a Forest career that has just never got going after a £10m move in 2022. Less than 30 appearances later, there is zero chance he adds to that tally with Dennis likely available for free to anyone who wants him.
61) Alfie Gilchrist (Chelsea)
Doesn’t take a genius to work out that, with no permanent deal materialising, another Championship loan appears likely.
60) Armando Broja (Burnley)
Short of fitness after a disrupted pre-season, was Scott Parker’s explanation for his absence at Spurs. Fair enough, probably.
59) Naouirou Ahamada (Crystal Palace)
Spent last year on loan at Rennes, doesn’t appear to be in Oliver Glasner’s plans, and the transfer trail on this one has now gone extremely cold.
58) Nathan Patterson (Everton)
Has had a torrid time at Everton with injuries but had been involved during pre-season before being left out altogether at Leeds on Monday night.
57) Sam Greenwood (Leeds)
Attracted plenty of Championship interest early in the summer but it’s all gone a bit quiet for a player who spent last season on loan at Preston and is entering the final year of his Leeds contract.
56) Josh Bowler (Nottingham Forest)
Has had five loan moves in three years at Forest, most recently at Luton for the second half of last season, and appears to be further away from the first-team picture than ever.
55) Issa Kabore (Man City)
Spent last season out on loan at Benfica and Werder Bremen, and the right-back is powerfully unlikely to still be at City when the transfer window music stops.
54) Callum Doyle (Man City)
Set to be the latest high-profile member of the great Wrexham Circus.
53) Omar Richards (Nottingham Forest)
Was unlucky with injuries when he first signed for Forest from Bayern Munich, but any chance of making a go of things at the City Ground has now surely passed him by. Spent last season on loan with Rio Ave in Portugal, and a permanent return has been touted and seems a win all round.
52) Harry Amass (Man United)
Was even left out of the U21 side as United seek to secure a loan for a player they’ve been clear is not available for permanent transfer. There is interest from the Championship, but United appear in no rush to push Amass out the door.
51) Luca Koleosho (Burnley)
Could be heading back to his former club Espanyol on loan, according to the Burnley Express. Which is a newspaper and not James Anderson.
50) Martial Godo (Fulham)
Coventry are keen on the winger, who was a bit-part first-team player last season and appears unlikely at this stage to be any more than that for Marco Silva this time around.
49) Alex Murphy (Newcastle)
Spent the second half of last season on loan at Bolton and the start of this one back with Newcastle’s Under-21s.
48) Eric da Silva Moreira (Nottingham Forest)
Bologna have been linked with the young full-back who made only two brief appearances in the Premier League last season but did make it as far as the bench for four of the first five games. But, perhaps tellingly, only once in the second half of the season.
47) Alan Browne (Sunderland)
Filled in in various positions during the promotion season, but among those seemingly now left behind by the squad’s Premier League glow-up.
46) Aaron Anselmino (Chelsea)
According to Matt Law, Chelsea ‘haven’t quite decided’ what they want to do with the Argentine, who they signed for £15.6m last summer, sent back to Boca Juniors on loan for the season, recalled in January, never picked, then took to the Club World Cup, where he played for two whole minutes. Our crystal ball says: season-long loan somewhere in La Liga.
45) Milan Aleksic (Sunderland)
Another player whose chances last season came mainly towards the end of the regular Championship season when all eyes were firmly on the play-offs.
44) Abdallah Sima (Brighton)
Very much for sale, with a wonderfully varied crop of reported suitors including Norwich, Lens and Olympiacos, while Rangers – where he spent 23/24 on loan – have also been interested in another go.
43) Ahmed Abdullahi (Sunderland)
Injury wrecked his first season on Wearside and Regis Le Bris was apparently keen to at least give him a pre-season chance to show his worth. We’ll have a definitive verdict on that over the next week or so.
42) Jeremy Sarmiento (Brighton)
Seeking a permanent move away from Brighton over the next couple of weeks having spent the last two seasons as something of a Championship promotion specialist after spending time at both Ipswich and Burnley in their successful campaigns.
41) Harrison Ashby (Newcastle)
Still yet to make a competitive appearance for Newcastle since his move from West Ham, and at 23 can surely no longer rely on ‘promising youngster’ status. Make-or-break season, you feel. And a sub-optimal start.
40) Nazariy Rusyn (Sunderland)
Hajduk Split opted not to trigger a permanent move after his loan last season.
39) Fabio Vieira (Arsenal)
Does sadly now look like he will not go down as the greatest Vieira to play for the Gunners. A loan to Stuttgart has been mooted for a player further away from the first-team picture than ever after Arsenal’s extravagant summer purchases.
38) Matt Targett (Newcastle)
Played only 19 minutes of Premier League football last season but did at least generally make the bench when available.
37) Maxwel Cornet (West Ham)
The most forgotten of forgotten men. Graham Potter has been very gentle but very clear. “He’s at a stage in his career where he needs to play regularly. At the moment, it’s difficult for me to guarantee that.”
36) Tawanda Chirewa (Wolves)
Spent last season on loan at Derby and Huddersfield. Something similar is likely on the cards for 25/26.
35) David Datro Fofana (Chelsea)
The top question suggested when you Google him is ‘Who does David Datro Fofana play for?’ and that is an uncomfortably profound question.
34) Nectarios Triantis (Sunderland)
Hibs have been keen to take him back after his time there on loan, while West Brom have also been strongly linked with the midfielder.
33) Calvin Ramsay (Liverpool)
Likely heading back to Scotland having failed to establish himself at Anfield. Which is no disgrace, to be fair.
32) Fabio Silva (Wolves)
Now apparently set for a move to Roma, because he is less fussy about these things than Jadon Sancho apparently.
31) Igor (Brighton)
Was expected to join Real Sociedad weeks ago. Has not yet done so. Might not do so. Either way, doesn’t appear to figure in Fabian Hurzeler’s Premier League plans.
30) Isaac Schmidt (Leeds)
A loan switch to Werder Bremen is all agreed, but Leeds want numbers in before letting the full-back leave.
29) Karl Hein (Arsenal)
Has made one Arsenal appearance in seven years – of course it was in the Carabao – and appears to be in the itchy-feet, want-to-play school of third-choice keepers rather than the can’t-believe-this-is-my-life-this-is-amazing group. Werder Bremen are apparently keen.
28) Chido Obi (Man United)
Patience is the key for a 17-year-old who made his breakthrough last season and will surely get opportunities again this time around, especially when/if Hojlund is bombed out.
27) Owen Bevan (Bournemouth)
Highly-rated Wales U21 centre-back has seen injuries hamper his progression to the first team, whether that’s at Bournemouth themselves or somewhere else on loan. If he stays fit, could yet get a chance this season given the way pretty much Bournemouth’s entire defence was picked off in the summer.
26) Raheem Sterling (Chelsea)
We’re calling it now: deadline-day loan to Spurs after both he and they have exhausted all other options.
25) Pedro Lima (Wolves)
A loan looks like a smart idea for the right-back, who is one of approximately 7398 fringe Premier League players apparently of interest to Wrexham.
24) Jamaal Lascelles (Newcastle)
The club activated a contract extension last season, but with Lascelles having now apparently slipped to, at best, fifth-choice centre-back it wouldn’t be a huge shock to see Newcastle’s longest-serving current player moved on over the next 10 days.
23) Reiss Nelson (Arsenal)
Arsenal would like to sell him, Fulham would like to have him back. Should be simple, but the Cottagers favour another loan for an injury-prone player entering the final two years of his contract while Arsenal would prefer something more permanent. It screams loan-with-option on September 1, frankly.
22) Mike Tresor (Burnley)
Restricted to one substitute appearance in the FA Cup across the whole of last season. It’s just never quite happened for the winger at Turf Moor and having been prominently involved in pre-season was nowhere to be seen in the matchday squad at Tottenham, suggesting a departure over the next couple of weeks is surely the likely outcome here.
21) Ethan Pinnock (Brentford)
Has seen it all across six years at Brentford and you’d imagine he remains a welcome familiar sight after a summer of upheaval and flux for the Bees. Played 32 matches in Brentford’s first Premier League season, then 30, 29 and 22 in the subsequent three. No great surprise to see those numbers continue on that trend this season, but he was still on the bench for every game he was available last term.
20) Christopher Nkunku (Chelsea)
Currently sat with his trotters up on close to 200 grand a week. You can only be so miffed about that. Chelsea’s transfer policy is not his fault, and he’s another one whose wildly generous contract terms make him extremely awkward to shift no matter how surplus to requirements he becomes.
19) Axel Disasi (Chelsea)
Does appear among the more shiftable of the 25/26 Chelsea bomb squad. Spent the second half of last season on loan at Villa and there must surely be a Premier League suitor out there that works for all parties. Also not one of the Chelsea outcasts on the very daftest money, putting him within the wage structure of most non-crazy Premier League clubs. Most obviously and necessarily Bournemouth given the scale of their defensive losses this summer.
18) Albert Sambi Lokonga (Arsenal)
Sevilla didn’t take up the option to make his loan permanent at the end of last season, so Lokonga is back in career limbo. They’re not Man United-level, but Arsenal are low-key bad at getting fringe players out the door.
17) Alejandro Garnacho (Man United)
Chelsea or nothing has been Garnacho’s mantra all summer. Could actually end up being nothing. Can Chelsea get Prick Protection?
16) Illan Meslier (Leeds)
High-profile errors last season didn’t cost Leeds in the end, but have cost Meslier. Firmly replaced as first choice by Lucas Perri and not even on the bench against Everton. A return to France seems the likeliest outcome here.
15) Jadon Sancho (Man United)
Everything appears to be agreed with Roma for a loan-with-obligation, and we’re not quite sure what Sancho is waiting for as his ill-fated United career meanders to an acrimonious close. We should all be hacked off at this waste of an obvious talent, but not sure where exactly Sancho can reasonably now direct his own ire without asking himself uncomfortable questions.
14) Konstantinos Tsimikas (Liverpool)
Now behind Milos Kerkez as well as Andy Robertson in the left-back pecking order at Anfield, with Fulham, Leeds and Nottingham Forest all keen to offer him a more straightforward route to Premier League minutes, but he could yet be retained at Liverpool for squad depth purposes.
13) Tyrell Malacia (Man United)
Part of the bloated United Bomb Squad, but not perhaps a villain in the same way as certain other members of that cohort. Malacia’s crime, such as it is, is to be not quite good enough. He also wasn’t quite good enough for PSV, where he spent the second half of last season on loan.
12) Tariq Lamptey (Brighton)
Has made over 100 Premier League appearances for the Seagulls and signed a one-year contract extension in the summer, but could yet move on before the window closes. Everton have been sniffing around, by all accounts.
11) Facundo Buonanotte (Brighton)
Looks certain to join the Brighton exodus; the only question is where, for how long, and/or for how much. The list of clubs reportedly interested is a long and glamorous one with Spurs, Borussia Dortmund, Bayer Leverkusen, Roma and also, in fairness, Leeds, West Ham and Forest all credited with interest of some sort or other in the Argentine playmaker this summer.
10) Carney Chukwuemeka (Chelsea)
Chelsea are holding out for a permanent sale, and want somewhere close to the £40m release clause in his contract. Borussia Dortmund wanted another loan move, and now Juventus are reportedly interested having allowed Douglas Luiz to join Nottingham Forest on loan.
9) Emerson (West Ham)
Marseille are keen on the left-back who played 31 Premier League games last season but has apparently fallen way down the pecking order at the London Stadium. Which really might be a blessing.
8) Antony (Man United)
Desperately wants to return to Real Betis, where he enjoyed himself so much on loan last season, and is clearly willing to wait until the very last minute if necessary to give that move every chance of coming to fruition, no matter how much United might have preferred a swifter solution.
7) Oleksandr Zinchenko (Arsenal)
Fulham, Porto, Fenerbahce and Real Betis have all been linked but no solution appears imminent for the Ukrainian as he enters the final year of his Arsenal contract.
6) Rasmus Hojlund (Man United)
Erik Ten Hag continues to haunt Manchester United, apparently closing off one exit route for Hojlund by selling Victor Boniface to one-time Hojlund-suitors Milan. Surely someone somewhere must want a striker who doesn’t really score goals but runs about a bit while secretly being far taller than you expect.
5) Ben Chilwell (Chelsea)
A member of last year’s bomb squad and back hanging around the training ground after Crystal Palace opted against making his loan move permanent. Genuinely quite daft from all concerned this hasn’t been sorted out more swiftly and permanently.
4) Patrick Bamford (Leeds)
Has been told he is not in Daniel Farke’s plans and is free to find a new club with just a year left on his contract. Leeds’ understandable concerns around Bamford’s injury history are nevertheless slightly dented by signing Dominic Calvert-Lewin as his direct replacement.
3) Yoane Wissa (Brentford)
‘We’ve made a decision that he’s not available after a very disrupted pre-season,’ was future-Sporcle-scupperer Keith Andrews’ statement ahead of the Nottingham Forest game. “I’ve been very clear on the situation as head coach: I want Yoane in the building.” But not, at this time, on the pitch. Has probably played his last game for the club.
2) Jakub Kiwior (Arsenal)
No shame in being unable to shift William Saliba or Gabriel Magalhaes from the starting XI, but slipping behind Cristhian Mosquera and out of the full-strength matchday squad altogether might sharpen Kiwior’s focus on finding a new club. Although, funnily enough, also didn’t make the matchday squad on the opening day last season, before being in every single one of the remaining 37, so maybe it’s fine actually.
1) Alexander Isak (Newcastle)
We’ve scoured the internet and can find no mention of Isak anywhere, meaning his absence from the opening-day draw with Aston Villa is a complete mystery. Perhaps some things man is not meant to know.
He can be – and is – very pissed off indeed that he’s missing the start of this season, but should really be aiming almost every drop of that boiled piss in a different direction.