These seven big-name Premier League players have zero minutes played after two weeks of 2025/26, and have watched at least one match from the bench.
We have ranked them by how p*ssed off they will be after consecutive snubs.
7) Dario Essugo (Chelsea)
Signed for a decent fee this summer, Essugo has yet to see a single Premier League minute. The 20-year-old has been left to watch Chelsea’s draw with Crystal Palace and demolition of West Ham from the bench, and must already be fearing the same fate as Lesley Ugochukwu, Carney Chukwuemeka and the rest of the youngsters hoarded at Stamford Bridge before being loaned out and eventually sold.
And we all know the script by now. Say it together: one, two, three…Strasbourg!
6) Ilkay Gundogan (Manchester City)
Pep Guardiola put Gundogan’s omission from Saturday’s squad against Spurs down to rotation, a week after the German sat on the bench while City – and his replacement Tijjani Reijnders – ran riot at Molineux. Journalist Nico Schira claims Gundogan is no longer in Guardiola’s plans, but that’s already obvious after just two weeks of 2025/26.
After seven glittering years at the Etihad, Gundogan left for Barcelona on a free transfer. He impressed in Spain and was re-signed by City a year later, a move we deemed perfect for everyone involved. It turns out we were wrong. For the first and only time ever.
A year on, and back-to-back Premier League snubs suggest a third transfer in as many summers. Gundogan should be more disappointed than angry about the situation: his second City stint looks set to end with him on the fringes, a far cry from 2023 when Guardiola worked tirelessly to convince him to stay. Age catches up with us all, fella…
5) Manuel Akanji (Manchester City)
An unused substitute against Wolves and available but ignored against Spurs, Akanji looks destined for the exit. City have agreed a fee with Galatasaray for the Swiss defender, though personal terms are still to be settled.
The decision is a curious one. Akanji has been versatile and reliable, while Nathan Ake’s fitness record is far shakier, but City seem intent on cashing in while Gala’s interest is strong. Guardiola’s squad is bloated and trimming it is a priority, and Akanji appears to be collateral.
At 30, he’s weighing up his options, but the way this is unfolding would test anyone’s patience. A move to Turkey feels increasingly inevitable, whether it’s his preferred choice or not.
4) Joshua Zirkzee (Manchester United)
Having spent every minute of 2025/26 getting splinters on his bum, Zirkzee hasn’t been called upon once by Ruben Amorim. This is despite Amorim chasing an equaliser against Arsenal on matchday one and a winner at Fulham on matchday two. His goal record in England is far from spectacular, but the Portuguese head coach baffled everyone by turning to centre-backs Harry Maguire and Ayden Heaven in the 87th minute at Craven Cottage with the score level, while Zirkzee and Kobbie Mainoo were Right There.
But Zirkzee’s situation is different to Mainoo’s. He hasn’t done enough to prove himself as a top-level player for United, and the big-money arrivals of Benjamin Sesko, Bryan Mbeumo and Matheus Cunha were always going to push him down the pecking order. The one small consolation is that he hasn’t been cast aside entirely like poor Rasmus Hojlund. But two sunny Sundays on the bench already feel less like rotation and more like a gentle nudge towards the exit door.
3) Ederson (Manchester City)
“My future is here. Some friends send me a lot of news but 99 per cent is fake news. I understand, but there’s a lot of fake news around my name. My head is staying at the club. It stays with the City. It gives me everything to go back to the Premier League again and try to win the Champions League as well.”
That was Ederson in June. At the time we said it might not be down to him, and it’s panning out that way. Despite his public declaration, the Brazilian goalkeeper – like Manuel Akanji – is a target for Galatasaray. City seem happy to move him on, leaving him out of the squad entirely for the trip to Wolves amid the speculation before plonking him on the bench for Saturday’s defeat to Spurs. A James Trafford error, Ederson camera pan was inevitable.
Trafford has moved ahead of him in Guardiola’s pecking order, and if Ederson goes, the door opens for PSG’s Gianluigi Donnarumma. It’s a brutal situation for City’s long-time No.1, whose future suddenly hinges not on his own form or loyalty, but on the availability of a superstar replacement.
2) Jakub Kiwior (Arsenal)
It’s Groundhog Day for Kiwior, who has started a second successive campaign on the fringes. Left out completely for the Gunners’ opener at Old Trafford, the defender was an unused substitute against Leeds United on Saturday. Last August, Kiwior didn’t make the squad on matchday one and then sat on the bench for another three matches before finally starting in the Premier League on December 4.
There is genuine transfer interest in Kiwior, and a sale would make sense. FC Porto are keen, but Arsenal are right to hold firm for a decent fee. Andrea Berta has the tough task of rebuilding the club’s reputation in the market, and securing good value for Kiwior would be a step in the right direction.
Plenty of Arsenal fans would be content for him to stay – he played an important role in the second half of last season when Gabriel Magalhaes was injured. But the early signs suggest history is repeating itself. With Gabriel first choice, and Riccardo Calafiori and new arrival Cristhian Mosquera also in Mikel Arteta’s squad, opportunities will be limited. A move to Porto looks increasingly likely, and at this stage, Kiwior would be wise to give it serious thought if he wants to play regularly.
1) Kobbie Mainoo (Manchester United)
A player seemingly perfect for Ruben Amorim’s dysfunctional system, Mainoo has not touched the pitch once in United’s two opening Premier League fixtures. Amorim’s decision to snub the 20-year-old comes amid little transfer speculation, though Tottenham have been linked over the past two months. Thomas Frank is focused on a more attack-minded midfield addition, intensifying their search after missing out on Ebere Eze to Arsenal.
Playing academy graduates is a cheat code for building a connection with supporters, and Mainoo is one of the best to come through at Old Trafford in years. He broke into an equally dysfunctional United side under Erik ten Hag at just 18 and showed incredible maturity and quality to establish himself in the first team. He’s a top talent, and if Amorim can’t find a role for him, that’s on him.
The England international ought to be exasperated watching Manuel Ugarte struggle while Amorim turns to the Uruguayan and defenders Diogo Dalot, Maguire and Heaven as substitutes ahead of him.
That only fuels uncertainty about Mainoo’s long-term future. He remains one of United’s best, most consistent players – even off the back of a difficult season – and is not someone they can afford to lose, even if a sale would be a pure-profit goldmine. Mainoo might love the club to death, but players will always do what’s best for their career. We’re only two games deep, but fans are already annoyed, and you can only imagine how young Kobbie is feeling.
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