Fashion, family and foosball: How these injured footballers spent their time off

TiWhile it's every footballer's nightmare to be ruled out of play due to injury, a small silver lining is time off to spend with family, friends and even childhood sweethearts. Here's how injured English Premier League players such as Sergio Aguero (pictured), Paul Pogba and Virgil Van Dijk enjoyed their downtime during recovery.

Fulham FC have been missing their captain Tom Cairney, who's been out since before Christmas with a knee injury. However grim the prognosis was for Cairney, he seems to be in good spirits on his Instagram, where he's shared several images bonding with son Aubrey. "Verified I missed most of Super Sunday but it’s cool Dada got you," he wrote underneath this image two days ago.

It's been a tough two months for Diogo Jota. The recent Liverpool signing was ruled out with a knee injury and has just been cleared to resume training. However, February was a beautiful month for Jota and his partner Rute Cardoso, as they shared the arrival of their first child, baby boy Dinis. "And we are already 3. Together forever. Proud of you Ru," the player posted in Portuguese.

Sergio Aguero has been missing in action since January 3, sidelined by an injury and a Covid-19 diagnosis. The striker, who is Man City's all-time top goalscorer, took the time to celebrate his family, especially as his son turned 12 years old.

Manchester United player and family man Edinson Cavani has had a rough season, getting Covid-19 in September, suffering a knock in December, and picking up an ankle and muscle injury in February. However, Cavani has seemed to stay positive on his social media, sharing a video of his son Lucas playing the guitar, as well as a clip of him painting on his daughter India's (pictured) hand.

Virgil Van Dijk has been one of the most shocking absences this season, leaving Liverpool in a lurch after picking up a knee injury in October. The Dutch defender, who was ruled out for the entire season, spent some of his downtime with none other than Salt Bae.

Paul Pogba remained as fashionable as ever, even after an injury knocked him out of play for the Red Devils. The Manchester United player posted this stylish image on his Instagram, with the caption: "Did you know that I’m (practically) a pro on foosball?!" We supposed even a thigh-muscle injury can't dampen Pogba's competitive spirit.

Love was in the air for several players in recent months. And Liverpool's Joe Gomez, who picked up a nasty knee injury in November, was no different. A week after his injury, he posted this sweet snap with his childhood sweetheart Tamara, writing: "Verified My best friend. 6 years."

It's been a brutally long journey for Adam Forshaw, who has been struggling with a hip injury since 2019. The Leeds United player hasn't made a single appearance this season. But he's shown his fans that there is more to life than football - like family. He welcomed a second child last year and has kept cosy in the company of his wife and kids.

One of the most recent injuries to hit the EPL was Leicester City's James Maddison. But rather than retreat, Maddison took to his Instagram stories to share his great statistics this season. He also reminisced on a relationship milestone, posting: "1 year ago. Time flies."

Germany's Robin Koch had to undergo surgery last month for a terrible knee injury. The Leeds United defender, however, has been back to training at home already. 24-year-old Koch seemed to channel the Mamba mentality as he exercised in a Kobe Bryant Lakers jersey.

The list of injuries this season is massive, and while some players have shared their recovery journey, others have kept it more private. But one thing is for sure: any footballer ruled out will be itching to get back into training. Crystal Palace's Wilfried Zaha shared this image on his social media, seeming to assure his fans that he won't be kept down for long.