11 notable players in the Premier League yet to start a match

The Premier League season is already in full swing, but a number of well-known players find themselves still waiting for their first start. Highlighting one of the most surprising situations is Victor Djerke, the Arsenal forward who cost the club £55 million in the summer of 2025 and has only managed to clock in just 12 minutes on the pitch.

Football365 has put together a symbolic team of players who are yet to start in the Premier League, despite not being sidelined by injuries. This list features some impressive names.

1. Nick Pope – Newcastle. Last season, Pope made 27 appearances but this year, he has slipped to third in the pecking order at Newcastle, with new arrivals Lukas Gornichek and Evan Jaouen taking precedence. Remarkably, he didn't even make the squad for the first two matches.
2. Kenny Tete – Fulham. Tete’s situation has been complicated by talks over a potential move to Everton, which ultimately fell through. Although he returned to the Fulham squad and came off the bench against Liverpool, he’s yet to start a Premier League match this season.
3. Lenny Yoro – Manchester United. Manager Michael Carrick seems to favour the pairing of Harry Maguire and Lisandro Martinez, leaving the young central defender behind in the pecking order, especially with Aiden Haven emerging as competition. The return of Matthijs de Ligt from injury could further complicate Yoro’s prospects.
4. Pascal Struijk – Brighton. After his summer switch from Leeds, Struijk remains a backup option. The preferred central defensive duo of Lewis Dunk and Luka Vushkovic has limited his opportunities, resulting in only a couple of minutes on the pitch this term.
5. Ryan Ait-Nouri – Manchester City. Ait-Nouri hasn't featured at all in the Premier League yet. Competition intensified following Nico O’Reilly’s breakthrough, and shockingly, the Algerian wasn’t even included in the squad for the Manchester derby. His game time this season has been restricted to just 15 minutes in the Champions League against Porto.
6. Martin Subimendi – Arsenal. The Spanish midfielder has participated in all four matches for the reigning champions, but he has come on as a substitute each time. With Declan Rice firmly establishing his place in the side, and new signing Bruno Guimaraes adding to the competition, Subimendi has found it tough to break into the starting eleven.
7. Jefferson Lerma – Crystal Palace. Lerma has seen little action since his late return from the World Cup, accumulating a mere six minutes in the first four fixtures, despite having played 48 matches for Palace across all competitions last season.
8. Estevao – Chelsea. The promising young talent from Chelsea has been given more of a chance in the League Cup, but in the Premier League, he’s made three brief appearances from the bench without exceeding ten minutes of playing time. Xabi Alonso appears reluctant to integrate the Brazilian into the starting lineup just yet.
9. Alejandro Garnacho – Aston Villa. On loan from Chelsea, Garnacho has come off the bench in three matches for Unai Emery's side, totalling around half an hour on the pitch. He remained on the bench against Nottingham Forest, a further testament to his struggle for a starting spot.
10. Victor Djerke – Arsenal. Perhaps the most unexpected situation on this list. Since his £55 million move last summer, Djerke has failed to make himself a first-choice forward at Arsenal. Mikel Arteta has preferred Kai Havertz, leaving Djerke with a meagre 12 minutes across four matches this season.
11. Benjamin Sesko – Manchester United. Like Djerke, Sesko is still waiting for his first start in the Premier League. Carrick has opted to use Matheus Cunha as his central striker. However, Sesko has already found the net after coming on against Everton and scored in the starting lineup in the Champions League against Sabah. Unlike Djerke, he has a significant caveat: he missed part of pre-season due to injury and has been working his way back to match fitness. Increased game time could be on the horizon after the international break.