Harry Kane Photo: VCG

When the English Premier League returns to action with Project Restart's first game next week ­it will be nearly three months since a ball was last kicked in anger.

It has been a lot longer for some players though, those who were set to miss much if not all of the rest of the season and were doubts for the summer tournaments ­- Euro 2020 and the Copa America.

Time, they say, is a great ­healer and that has been proved to be the case for some of the star players of clubs who are still looking for silverware and securing European spots for next season.

Harry Kane - Tottenham Hotspur

The England skipper has not played since January 1 and cannot wait to get back to football. Kane has a history of returning from injury towards the end of the season and has twice made it back for the last nine games of the campaign. In 2017 those games saw 11 goals and in 2018 he scored six before becoming golden boot at the FIFA World Cup in Russia, where he scored another six goals. He was in fine form before the injury and had 27 goals in 31 games for Spurs. The 26-year-old returns for Jose Mourinho's side with the club in eighth and Manchester United the first game back as they look to book European football for next campaign.

Marcus Rashford - Manchester United

Kane's England strike partner has not played since January 15 when he was risked in United's FA Cup replay against Wolves. They won through to the next round but his back injury was aggravated and it looked like the young Mancunian would miss out on Euro 2020. Now he is back to full fitness and looking to add to his total of 14 goals in 22 Premier League games this season, while the club struggled without him. Rashford, who at 22 was having his most prolific season in front of goal, netted twice in a practice match between the United squad at Old Trafford. The game finished 4-4.

Alisson - Liverpool

The No.1 at Anfield and for Brazil has not picked up his gloves since February when he also picked up a hip injury. His time on the treatment table coincided with Jurgen Klopp's Premier League champions elect and the European champions going out of the UEFA Champions League. It would be expected that Alisson would return to the starting lineup even if it was just to help Liverpool wrap up the league as quickly as possible. They are 25 points ahead of second-placed Manchester City and could win it inside two games, no matter what happens elsewhere.

Paul Pogba - Manchester United

It was December 26, 2019 when the Frenchman last played for Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's side and what was meant to be a belated Christmas present after the 27-year-old had hardly featured for much of the season was instead another headache. Many fans and pundits have given up on Pogba, with his controversial agent Mino Raiola agitating for a move away from the club at every opportunity, it seemed that the World Cup winner might leave in the summer. The pandemic has put the summer off for a little while, and it remains to be seen how the transfer market will be affected, so Pogba is fit and back in the first-team plans. The story now is how he can play with the new darling of Old Trafford, Bruno Fernandes, who arrived seemingly to replace Pogba in January. The pair were on opposite sides in the friendly draw behind closed doors but are expected line up alongside each other, maybe as soon as Spurs.

Son Heung-min - Tottenham Hotspur

The man that manager Mourinho calls "Sonaldo" in reference to the original Brazilian tormenter of defenders was doing a fine job stepping up in the absence of team talisman Harry Kane, just as he always does, before injury struck. He broke his arm in a game against Aston Villa, but stayed on the pitch until the end, scoring twice including the last minute winner. His arm has healed, despite the fact that while others were resting Son was back home in South Korea doing his mandatory military service, the minimum period having been exempted from more by winning gold at the Asian Games. Spurs fans will hope his shooting is as good as it was with the army, where Son was given an award for his marksmanship. The South Korean superstar turns 28 in July and securing Spurs European football for next season will add to his chances of earning major club honors next campaign ­- either in North London or with his last big move.

Christian Pulisic - Chelsea

The American had impressed in his first season in England but it all looked to end with a whimper when the winger tore an abductor during Chelsea's New Years Day jolly down the coast to Brighton. Frank Lampard will be happy to have Pulisic back in the fold as Chelsea look to seal the coveted fourth and final Champions League spot ahead of Manchester United. Pulisic, who arrived from Germany's Borussia Dortmund in a deal that predated Chelsea's transfer ban, had six goals in 23 games before his league season was cut short. Now the pandemic postponement allows the 21-year-old to return and possibly play a key role. The same could be true of fellow returnee Ruben Loftus-Cheek who has not played for more than a year but is now back in contention.

Leroy Sane - Manchester City

Even the most optimistic of City fans would likely admit that the Premier League title is not returning to Manchester this season but there is a bigger prize on the horizon and keeping their form domestically can't hurt their European ambitions. Germany winger Sane, who is expected to return to his homeland in the next transfer window, with Bayern Munich reported as the likely destination, has not played for Pep Guardiola's side since August 4 last year and fans would dearly love  to see him in a blue shirt again. If he does come back it would be his first Premier League game - he was injured in the Community Shield. He finished with a winners medal that day and the hope at the Etihad is that they can end the season with one more.