A whole host of Premier League players are set to miss the start of the Premier League season

With the new Premier League campaign getting underway in less than three weeks' time, we investigate just who is in danger of missing the opening weekend of the campaign.

Top-flight clubs are currently busy with pre-season preparations as they look to build up their squads' fitness levels ahead of the big kick-off on the weekend of August 13-15.

However, many sides have had to contend with players coming back late after being involved in either the European championship in France or the Copa America in the US.

Meanwhile, other teams are having to cope with lengthening injury lists this summer before a ball has even been kicked in competitive anger.

All of which means that were the 2016/17 Premier League campaign to start today, these various first-team stars would be absent for one reason or another…

Arsenal

Mertesacker, Jenkinson, Sanchez, Welbeck (injured); Ramsey, Koscielny, Ozil, Giroud (rest); Gnabry, Asano (Olympics); Gabriel (illness)



Arsene Wenger likes to give his players plenty of rest after major tournaments, meaning the likes of Aaron Ramsey, Laurent Koscielny, Mesut Ozil, Olivier Giroud and Alexis Sanchez may all miss the season opener at home to Liverpool, which is live on Sky Sports on August 14.

Per Mertesacker is expected to be out of action for the next five months with a knee problem

The Gunners are also likely to be without Per Mertesacker, Carl Jenkinson and Danny Welbeck through injury, while both Serge Gnabry and Takuma Asano will be representing their countries at the Olympics as well.

Hull City

Bruce, Dawson, Huddlestone, Livermore, Maguire, McGregor, Odubajo (injured)

Whoever replaces Steve Bruce at the KC Stadium will face a lengthy injury list for the club's opening fixture of the season at home to Leicester City on August 13.

The newly promoted Tigers have seven players on the treatment table at present, with none set to be available for the visit of the champions next month.

Liverpool

Gomez, Lucas, Matip, Smith, Sakho (injured); Ilori (Olympics)

If Liverpool's season opener at Arsenal were played today, then coach Jurgen Klopp's back four would be without Tiago Ilori - due to play at the Olympics - as well as Joe Gomez, Joel Matip, Brad Smith (who is on his way to Bournemouth in any case), Mamadou Sakho and (makeshift defender) Lucas Leiva with injury.

Lucas Leiva injured his hamstring in Liverpool's recent friendly win at Huddersfield Town

Bournemouth

Afobe, Ake, Cook, Mings, Smith, Hyndman (injured)

Cherries boss Eddie Howe is in danger of missing six key players with various aches and pains when Jose Mourinho brings Manchester United to the South Coast for the first game of the campaign on August 14.

Tottenham Hotspur

Dembele (suspended); Vertonghen, Njie (injured); Son (Olympics)

Spurs will be unable to call upon the services of Jan Vertonghen, Moussa Dembele and Son Heung-min when they travel to Everton on the opening Saturday of the season due to injury, suspension and involvement at the Olympics respectively.

Jan Vertonghen's ankle injury will rule him out of Spurs' trip to Everton on the first Saturday of the season

Crystal Palace

McArthur, Sako, Tomkins, Zaha (injured)

The Eagles have James McArthur, Bakary Sako, James Tomkins and Wilfried Zaha on the treatment table after the quartet all sustained injuries during pre-season, giving boss Alan Pardew a potential headache with West Bromwich Albion visiting Selhurst Park in less than three weeks' time.

Sunderland

Kirchhoff, Cattermole, Jones, Defoe (injured)

David Moyes faces a baptism of fire when he kicks off his Sunderland reign with a tricky-looking trip to face Manchester City on August 13.

New Sunderland boss David Moyes will be desperate to have Jermain Defoe fit for the start of the new season

The Scot's task, however, could be made even harder if first-teamers Jan Kirchhoff, Lee Cattermole, Billy Jones and Jermain Defoe all fail to recover from their current injury problems.

Stoke City

Afellay, Ireland, Shawcross (injured)

Ibrahim Afellay and Stephen Ireland will still be absent with long-term problems when Stoke travel to newly promoted Middlesbrough on the opening Saturday of the season, while manager Mark Hughes could be without influential captain Ryan Shawcross as well at the Riverside.

Everton

Jagielka, McCarthy, Stones (injured)

Ronald Koeman is likely to be missing skipper Phil Jagielka when the Everton boss takes charge of the club for the first time in the Premier League against Spurs on August 13.

Veteran Everton defender has suffered a recurrence of the hamstring problem that ruled him out of the end of last season

The experienced central defender recently suffered a recurrence of the hamstring problem that ruled him out of the end of last season and is now a major doubt for next month's visit of the north London club, and the Dutchman may also be missing James McCarthy and John Stones with injury.

West Ham United

Lanzini, Cresswell, Sakho (injured)

Slaven Bilic will be without the likes of Manuel Lanzini, Aaron Cresswell and Diafra Sakho when his West Ham side take on Chelsea at Stamford Bridge on the first Monday Night Football clash of the new campaign.

Chelsea

Ivanovic, Zouma (injured); Mikel (Olympics)

Antonio Conte won't be able to field either long-term absentee Kurt Zouma or Olympics-bound John Obi Mikel when he manages Chelsea for the first time in the Premier League against West Ham on MNF next month.

Kurt Zouma suffered a long-term knee injury against Man Utd last season

The new Blues boss could be without Branislav Ivanovic as well for the Hammers' visit after the versatile defender returned home early from the club's training camp in Germany with a shoulder injury.

Burnley

Barnes, Jutkiewicz (injured)

Boss Sean Dyche is hoping to have strikers Ashley Barnes and Lukas Jutkiewicz fit in time for the Clarets' first match back in the Premier League at home to Swansea City on August 13.

Manchester United

Smalling (suspended); Borthwick-Jackson (injured)

Jose Mourinho's preparations for the new season have not been interrupted too badly by injuries so far, with only Cameron Borthwick-Jackson currently sidelined with injury.

Chris Smalling is suspended for Man Utd's season opener at Bournemouth

However, United's new manager will definitely be without Chris Smalling for the trip to Bournemouth on August 14 after the centre back's sending-off in the FA Cup final in May.

Southampton

Gardos, Tadic (injured)

New Saints manager Claude Puel will have to make do without long-term injury victim Florin Gardos for the Premier League opener with Watford on August 13.

However, the Frenchman is expected to have Dusan Tadic available for the Hornets' visit, despite the influential playmaker having missed the south coast club's recent friendly against PEC Zwolle with a leg problem.

Manchester City

Gundogan, Kompany (injured)

Ilkay Gundogan will not feature when Pep Guardiola's Premier League tenure gets underway against Sunderland on August 13, with the summer signing from Borussia Dortmund set to be missing until September after dislocating his kneecap in training in May.

New signing Ilkay Gundogan will not feature for Man City until September at the earliest

However, City's new head coach is still hopeful of having captain Vincent Kompany available for the Black Cats' visit to the Etihad as the Belgian steps up his recovery from the thigh problem he picked up against Real Madrid at the end of last season.

Middlesbrough

Ayala, Leadbitter (injured)

The newly promoted Premier League club will be without the services of Grant Leadbitter for their season opener with Stoke after 'Boro's captain underwent surgery on a hernia during the summer.

Meanwhile, manager Aitor Karanka may also be forced to make do without Daniel Ayala's services for the visit of the Potters after the central defender picked up an ankle problem in pre-season.

Leicester City

Huth (suspended)

The Foxes, who enjoyed relatively few injury problems on their way to last season's championhip, look like kicking off their title defence with a clean bill of health.

Robert Huth misses the start of Leicester City's title defence due to suspension

Claudio Ranieri's only worry at present is Jamie Vardy, who underwent surgery on his damaged wrist after Euro 2016, but the England international was expected to be sidelined for just three weeks.

Leicester's boss will, however, be without Robert Huth for the lunch-time trip to Hull on August 13 with the centre back serving the final match of a three-game ban after a clash with Marouane Fellaini at the end of last season.

Watford

Guedioura (injured)

It is still too soon to know if Adlene Guedioura will be fit in time for Watford's season-opener at Southampton on August 13 after the Algerian midfielder limped out of the club's recent friendly with Stevenage.

West Bromwich Albion

Brunt (injured)

Chris Brunt (R) is in a race against time to be available for West Bromwich's first contest of the new campaign

It is unlikely Chris Brunt will have recovered from the knee ligament injury he picked up in March in time for the Baggies' first match of the new campaign at Palace on August 13.