When considering the fantasy players who will help you in the coming campaign, the names of last season’s top performers will be at the fore-front of your thinking – such as Steven Gerrard, Cesc Fàbregas, Pat-rice Evra and Rio Ferdinand. And the doubts over the futures of Cristiano Ronaldo and Emmanuel Adebayor will have you wondering about what contribution they can make, if any.

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But there is another group of players worth considering. They are the potential comeback candidates, who missed playing time through injury or squad rotation but could play a bigger part in the coming months.

Tim Cahill (Everton)

The Australia regular is that potentially priceless fantasy asset – a midfield player who scores goals. He knocked in seven last season in only 18 Premier League appearances, which was slightly above his average of a goal roughly every three matches. Fractured metatarsals cost him playing time early and late, while hamstring and hip problems kept him out in February and March. He could miss a few more games in August, but if he can stay fully fit after that, expect to see his trademark corner-flag punching goal celebration many times before next May.

Robin van Persie (Arsenal)

If that speedy forward who impressed with Holland during Euro 2008 looked familiar, it is because you may have caught a glimpse of him playing for Arsenal last season. An encouraging preseason raised hopes that the departure of Thierry Henry from Van Persie’s favoured channel of attack down the left side would open up a promising new role for the hard-shooting Dutchman, but a twisted knee cost him two months and a thigh injury prevented him from having a decent run of games after that. Will this be the season he puts it all together?

Gareth Bale (Tottenham Hotspur)

The promising Wales defender was supposed to be the best left back outside the Premier League and he had started to look like one of the best in it, too, after Tottenham bought him from Southampton last summer – until a foot injury suffered in December ended his debut season in the top flight. He had missed time with a similar problem, but not before showing excellent attacking instincts and revealing that his skilfully struck free kicks would trouble goalkeepers at any level. He could play on the left of midfield but will qualify at left back, which increases his value.

Peter Crouch (Portsmouth) How many of Liverpool’s 38 Premier League matches do you think Crouch – an England forward, remember – started last season? He began only nine league games, so it was no wonder that he scored only five league goals. Rafael BenÍtez, the manager, used Crouch off the bench a further 12 times, but the need to rotate his forwards seemed to cost Crouch more Premier League playing time than the others. This season he will be among the first names on Portsmouth’s team-sheet and his partnership with Jermain Defoe can be expected to yield a rich return in goals and assists.

Gary Neville (Manchester United)

It would be galling for most players to miss a season in which their club won the Premier League title and the Champions League, but Neville is such a rabid United fan that the pleasure of denying Chelsea would have outweighed any disappointment. Leg injuries meant that he played only ten minutes of United’s campaign, against AS Roma at Old Trafford, but the England shop steward will have left Wes Brown, his understudy, in no doubt that he expects to win back his place.

John Terry (Chelsea)

Missing the penalty kick that would have won the Champions League final for Chelsea was the England defender’s most painful moment of last season, but a depressed fracture of the cheekbone, a knee operation and a fractured metatarsal would have stung the next morning as well. A defender who plays for a solid defence and also scores goals is a valuable fantasy commodity, but not if he is in the treatment room. The good news is that “JT” should be expected to play a much greater percentage of Chelsea’s matches this season.

Kieron Dyer (West Ham United)

The England midfield player has had a chequered career, including on-pitch fights with teammates, but his talent has seldom been in doubt. So the double fracture that he suffered to his right leg early last season, shortly after leaving Newcastle United, was a cruel blow. He is so far under the radar that many people will not remember who he plays for, but he is back in training and hopeful of being fit for the new season. That may be optimistic, but this is a situation that could repay careful watching.

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