With just nine rounds of Premier League games to go, as well as nearing the final stages of the cup competitions, the last thing that the managers will be wanting is an injury list as long as their arm.

However, following the international break, this is something that Premier League bosses will have little control over as many of their players will be returning with knocks, niggles and muscle strains – some with even worse!

As well as this, the closer we get to the end of the season, the more likely it is that players will pick up an injury with the games getting packed in tighter and tighter.

Swansea City’s Angel Rangel, AFC Bournemouth’s Callum Wilson, Tottenham’s Danny Rose and Erik Lamela, Manchester City’s Ilkay Gundogan, West Ham United’s Michail Antonio and Arsenal’s Santi Cazorla have all been affected by long-term injury spells this year and their absence will have affected their respective teams in the long run.

Obviously, there are plenty more players that have been dealt injury blows during 2016-17, but here are the top five Premier League players that are set for a spell on the sidelines before the end of the season…

Seamus Coleman

During the Group D World Cup Qualifying match between the Republic of Ireland and Wales, Everton full-back Seamus Coleman was stretchered off after a crunching tackle made by Aston Villa’s Neil Taylor.

The 28-year-old will now be out of action for a minimum of five months after it was confirmed that his fibula and tibia had been shattered as a result of the challenge.

Everton are currently pressing for a top-six finish and the Ireland international has been in fine form all season.

He has featured in all but four of The Toffees’ games and has even managed to bag himself four goals and four assists.

Phil Jones and Chris Smalling

Defender Jones.

Now, both of these Manchester United central defenders look set for a spell on the sidelines after a bizarre clash in training whilst on duty for the England national side, which forced them both to miss games against Germany and Lithuania.

Phil Jones’ toe was damaged and Chris Smalling has since been spotted in a leg brace leaving United boss Jose Mourinho with somewhat of an injury crisis at centre-back.

The Portuguese manager will not have been impressed to lose two of his defenders and the remaining recognised three (Eric Bailly, Marcos Rojo and Axel Tuanzebe) all featured for their respective national side before their goalless draw against West Brom.

The pair both have unknown return dates but they will each miss a good chunk of the rest of the season at least. Manchester United boast one of the best defensive records in the league and will be hoping that both injuries are not as bad as first expected. They face nine games in April and are hoping for a strong finish in both the Europa League and the Premier League.

Adam Lallana

Another Englishman to suffer an injury whilst on duty is Liverpool star Adam Lallana.

The creative midfielder pulled his thigh right at the end of England’s victory against Lithuania, where he also set up Jamie Vardy for England’s second goal in their 2-0 win.

Lallana was one of the few players to start both games and could be now out for up to a month, which means he is likely to miss at least another four games of the remaining eight that are left to play.

The 28-year-old has featured in 27 of Liverpool’s 30 Premier League games so far this season and has been performing exceptionally well for both club and country.

Manager Jurgen Klopp is said to be furious after the midfielder returned back to the club injured and the Spaniard will now have to rethink his game plan as Liverpool continue to attempt to secure a place in the top four.

His absence will be a massive blow for the club and they will keep hoping that he is able to recover as soon as possible.

Petr Cech

Arsenal goalkeeper Petr Cech is set to be on the sidelines for at least a month after suffering a calf injury against West Brom in the previous round of fixtures.

This injury will now mean that the first choice ‘keeper will miss several crucial games for Arsene Wenger’s side, as he did during Sunday’s 2-2 draw against Manchester City, and will face a race against time to recover in time for the FA Cup semi-final where The Gunners will face City once again.

It is expected that David Ospina will replace Cech in goal whilst he is out. However, the Colombian international has expressed his desire to leave the club come the end of the season in a bid to play more regular football and Arsenal fans will be hoping that his form improves… quickly!

All involved at The Emirates will be wanting a top four finish.

Harry Kane

The only thing that may now stand in the way of Harry Kane and winning back-to-back Premier League Golden Boot awards is his recent injury, where the Tottenham striker damaged the ligaments in his ankle.

The England international already has 24 goals in all competitions this season and has 19 goals in Premier League – currently only behind Romelu Lukaku (21) in the goalscoring charts.

If he can go on to achieve this fate, Kane would become only the fifth player to do so since the Premier League began.

However, after initial fears suggested that he may be out for all but the last few games of the campaign, the 23-year-old is now set to make an early return and could even feature in the FA Cup semi-final showdown with Chelsea later this month.

His return would definitely offer Spurs a massive boost as they look to secure themselves another top four finish and guarantee Champions League football next season – not to mention the fact that they are trying to win their first major trophy since 2008.