Time for the bench: 5 Premier League players that should lose their starting spots

With every Premier League season comes new iterations of teams that are either looking to maintain their challenge for titles, push on from whatever stage they had been in during the campaign prior, or maintain their status as a Premier League club, the latter having been the aim of most, if not every, promoted club in history.

To meet these ambitions, whatever they may be, each club aim to supply their manager with a squad that can meet their standards, players that fit the system of the team to help them throughout the term. Of course, there come times where a player may have remained in the starting 11 when their form suggests that they should perhaps be replaced by another within their club’s ranks.

With that being considered, it is worth asking the question, which five Premier League players need to lose their starting spots?

5. Mads Roerslev

Brentford have been unlucky with injuries over the last year or so, particularly in the full-back department. When all are healthy, there is an argument that Rico Henry and Aaron Hickey are one of the league’s stronger partnerships, but both have missed the majority of the last 12 months due to injury.

As such, Mads Roerslev has been drafted in to replace Hickey at right-back and while the Dane’s performances have been okay, they have been okay at best. It is an area of the pitch that Brentford desperately need reinforcing and Hickey’s eventual return to fitness will suffice this.

Until then, the Bees must rely on Roerslev, a player who has been with the club for five years. Again, it is not that Roerslev is the worst player in the league, but it is quite evident that he will be dropped, at least as right-back, as soon as Brentford can afford his absence.

4. Joshua Zirkzee

Excitement was high when Manchester United signed Joshua Zirkzee from Bologna, the Dutch striker having announced himself on the world stage with the Italian club after previously spending time in Germany with Bayern Munich. Under the management of Thiago Motta, who is now in charge of Juventus, Zirkzee helped guide Bologna to Champions League football before departing earlier this year for Old Trafford.

Something of a 9.5, Zirkzee plays just behind the forward line and ahead of the 10, dropping deeper than most strikers in order to be more involved in any build-up play. While there is much potential for Zirkzee, it is hard to argue that he has made a particularly great impact on Man United so far.

He scored on his debut but has not scored since in the Premier League. In all competitions, he has just two goals in 17 games and is alternating with Rasmus Hojlund, who is also struggling for goals. Of course, with the arrival of Ruben Amorim, plenty could yet change for Zirkzee and the Red Devils, but currently, it’s hard to think he should be starting.

3. Jack Harrison

Winger Jack Harrison made his name in English football with Leeds United, spending three years on loan at Elland Road from Manchester City before the move was made permanent in 2021. Spending two seasons there as a permanent player, Harrison departed Leeds on loan for Everton following their 2023 relegation, rejoining the Merseyside club on loan again ahead of this campaign.

Harrison has become known as a hot and cold player. When he is on form, there are genuinely few better on the day than Harrison. When he isn’t, though, he runs the risk of being completely anonymous on the pitch, contributing very little for his team going forward.

Harrison has, at the time of writing, appeared in 13 games for Sean Dyche’s Everton this season, failing to register a goal or an assist in either the Premier League or the EFL Cup. He has been coming on from the bench in his last two or three games for the Toffees, something that should remain consistent, at least for the time being.

2. Daichi Kamada

Crystal Palace fans were understandably excited when the signing of Daichi Kamada was announced. The Japanese international had been with Lazio but found the best form of his career thus far with his prior club, Eintracht Frankfurt, where he was managed by current Palace boss Oliver Glasner.

Glasner guided Palace to a top-half finish in the second half of last season and a signing of Kamada’s pedigree saw hope rise amongst the Eagles faithful. Palace have, unfortunately, and rather surprisingly, endured a slow start, with the likes of Ebere Eze and Jean-Philippe Mateta having gone through poor beginnings to the campaign.

Kamada is no different, with the midfielder evidently having struggled to quickly adapt to the English game. He is yet to score a Premier League goal after 11 appearances and against Tottenham Hotspur, he was shown a straight red card, enforcing a first-team change that perhaps needed to happen.

1. Kyle Walker

A definite Manchester City legend, Kyle Walker has been a constant in Pep Guardiola’s side since his arrival at the Etihad in 2017. Now though, at 34 years of age, there are cracks showing in Walker’s game, based so much on his pace. They were evident when he played for England at the Euros earlier this year and sadly for him, they have not let up for Manchester City.

As is the case for any player in football, age catches them all. City have the likes of Josko Gvardiol and Rico Lewis in their ranks that can play in Walker’s position and while the England international will no doubt still play a part in the season for the Sky Blues, it is up for debate whether that role will be as a starter or not.