Some footballers get all the luck, while others can end up on the treatment table for most of their careers despite having incredible talent.
Premier League clubs have been no exception when it comes to seeing some of their most promising players lost or irreversably changed due to injuries.
Arsenal, Manchester United, Liverpool, Manchester City, and others are among the teams who could have had even more talent available to them if it hadn't been for the curses that some of these players seemed to have placed on them.
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Here are six players who could have had completely different careers if it wasn't for their injuries...
Abou Diaby
Possibly one of the most referenced players when it comes to 'what could have been', Diaby looked like he might be Arsene Wenger's choice to replace Patrick Vieira while breaking in to the Arsenal team in the late 2000s.
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However, after injuring what seems like every part of his body, the Frenchman wasn't able to live up to his potential and eventually left north London for Marseille in 2015 - but it wasn't to be, with the midfielder retiring in 2017 at just 32-years-old.
Daniel Sturridge
Sturridge has managed to have some highs in his career, scoring some notable goals for England and having one magical season alongside Luis Suarez at Liverpool - as well as technically holding two Champions League winners medals from his time at Anfield and Chelsea.
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However, it could have been even more if it weren't for a number of hamstring and other injuries that stopped the striker from completely living up to his potential.
Not officially retired, Sturridge hasn't had a club since being released by Trabzonspor in March of this year. He received a four month ban for breaching betting rules at the same time, and is now without a club at the ripe old age of 31.
Mario Gotze
Scoring a World Cup winning goal in extra time isn't a bad accolade, as well as five Bundesliga titles.
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Even with these career highlights, Gotze may be disappointed with how it has gone. After lighting up the Westfalenstadion in Borussia Dortmund's two top flight championships in 2011 and 2012 and being compared to Lionel Messi, the forward has failed to live up to expectations since moving to Bayern Munich.
Specifically, an illness known as myopathy affected Gotze, which caused him to be fatigued and gain weight. This is thought to explain his torrid time in Munich, as well as on his return to Dortmund before it was diagnosed.
Since then, the Germany international has somewhat recovered, but still struggles to hit the heights he reached early in his career and is currently plying his trade at PSV Eindhoven in the Eredivisie. He is still only 28-years-old.
Jack Rodwell
Rodwell looked like world beater when he came through the ranks at Everton, being compared to Manchester United great Rio Ferdinand.
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However, injuries had already began to set in before he had even made his big money move to Manchester City, and they hamstrung his progress at the Etihad.
Seemingly unable to stay fit for more than a few weeks at a time, the midfielder was then panned for refusing to move off his high wages at Sunderland when they were relegated. Moves to Blackburn Rovers and Sheffield United have since come along, but the 29-year-old has been unable to match his early potential.
Owen Hargreaves
Hargreaves was always appreciated as a great player during his time, but was never able to reach the real peak of the game due to his near constant injuries.
Coming through the youth system at Bayern Munich after a childhood in Canada, the midfielder enjoyed a successful time in Germany - collecting four Bundesliga medals and a Champions League while he grew into first team football.
However, after a broken leg he received in 2007, just before his move to Manchester United - the recovery from which Hargreaves himself blames for his subsequent issues - he was never the same player.
A series of problems with his knees and elsewhere led to the England international being allowed to leave Old Trafford on a free before a short spell at Manchester City. He retired in 2012, at just 31-years-old, after several injury-hit years.
Topics: Manchester City, Liverpool, Football News, Daniel Sturridge, Chelsea, Football, Manchester United, Mario Gotze, Owen Hargreaves, Everton, Arsenal
