5 Premier League stars who can't afford to have a bad season in 2017/18

The 2017/18 Premier League season is less than a month away. As pre-season gets underway and various clubs try out new formations and tactics following the arrival of new personnel in the transfer window, existing players will have to pull up their socks if they are to retain their spots in the starting lineup.

With that in mind, we look at five players who probably have one last chance to impress their managers when the season is in full swing.

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1) Sergio Aguero - Manchester City

How anyone could bench a goalscorer such as Sergio Aguero was a question that had many people scratching their heads. But one man who wasn't was Pep Guardiola who did not see the Argentine striker as the ideal man to lead the Manchester City attack.

The Catalan manager loves his players to be very mobile with the versatility to play across the front line. Guardiola's ultimate dream is to have a team of midfielders capable of switching positions - the Cruyff model of total football mixed with his own brand of possession football and pressing opponents when they lose the ball.

Unfortunately, Aguero is a player of the classic no.9 mould who thrives in the central channel in the final third. Only last season did he really become the first line of defence, leading the press when City lost the ball.

However, in Gabriel Jesus, Guardiola has the perfect mobile forward. It was only his foot injury that saw Aguero put back in the lineup. The Brazilian's return could see Aguero benched again and it could be his final season at City if he doesn't work hard enough to play enough games on such high wages.

2) Theo Walcott - Arsenal

Walcott may not fit into Arsenal's new system

In spite of spending more than a decade at the club, Arsenal forward Theo Walcott is yet to really cement his place in the starting lineup. Once a regular on the right when his searing pace was a potent weapon for the Gunners, Walcott's decline has been startling.

Injuries stalled his career but the 28-year-old Englishman had seemingly recovered last season to have a blistering start (10 goals by December) before fading away again. The arrival of Alexis Sanchez also showed the gulf in class between the two wide forwards under Wenger.

The French manager's new 3-4-2-1 formation could spell the end of Walcott's career at Arsenal if he does not reinvent himself. It is the wing-backs who now provide width. Walcott's tactical intelligence will be put to the test but he is effectively competing with Mesut Ozil to play behind the striker.

And following the arrival of Alexandre Lacazette and the return of Danny Welbeck from injury, there is no chance he will lead the line.

3) Simon Mignolet - Liverpool

Mignolet may not be first choice at Liverpool this season

Liverpool have made progress under Jurgen Klopp, albeit a little slowly, but it is progress nonetheless. Once a traditional 'Big 4' team and a permanent fixture in the Champions League, the Reds took a while to get back in the mix.

Liverpool were arguably one of the best teams when the top six sides played each other and they do have a big-game mentality now. However, while the outfield is shaping up nicely, their goalkeeper remains their biggest issue.

Simon Mignolet was their first-choice goalkeeper but Lorius Karius soon usurped him before an injury saw the Belgian get back in between the sticks. His consistency in goal has been questioned and his shot-stopping ability has been put to the test. His confidence in dealing with crosses has also been shaky.

The arrival of Danny Ward only puts more pressure on Mignolet. "We have three goalkeepers and they can all show what they are able to do, and then we will see who will start," said Klopp when asked about who would be no.1.

That's a lot of pressure to put on the senior-most 'keeper at the club.

4) Anthony Martial - Manchester United

Will Martial cement his place in the United lineup?

"If he wants to become a very special player – he can do that – then he has to go in a certain direction," Mourinho had said of Anthony Martial last season.

The young Frenchman, who broke the record for most expensive teenager when he signed for Manchester United, was given some freedom under Louis van Gaal but initially struggled in Mourinho's rigid approach.

Competing with Marcus Rashford, Henrikh Mkhitaryan, Jesse Lingard and Juan Mata for wide roles (thanks to Zlatan Ibrahimovic cementing the striker's spot), Martial found it hard to adapt, often leaving full-backs to fend for themselves.

Mourinho did manage to get the best out of him towards the end of last season, especially when they had a very tight schedule in April and May. But following Romelu Lukaku's arrival, Martial will certainly be asked to play on the flank again.

Can he impress Mourinho with a consistent run of games or will he be dropped again?

5) Cesc Fabregas - Chelsea

Can Fabregas get back into the starting lineup for good?

Cesc Fabregas is Chelsea's best playmaker in midfield but he only started 13 games for the champions last season. The Spaniard actually made more substitute appearances for the Blues and managed to make 12 assists.

Antonio Conte's switch to a back three saw one midfielder taken out of the picture as Marcos Alonso and Victor Moses were deployed as the two wing-backs. N'Golo Kante and Nemanja Matic kept their place in midfield as the creative responsibilities were shunted out wide.

Defensive solidity is the key to Conte's system and Fabregas, so used to having freedom in midfield in recent years, does tend to leave the Blues exposed in midfield when they do not have the ball.

"I feel loved by the fans here," Fabregas said. "Every time I have played, I have shown I can play at the top level in this team, by far."

But Conte's system may not allow him to play 90 minutes consistently unless he evolves into the all-round midfielder he craves in the middle of the park.