Eden Hazard, Paul Pogba and the players with points to prove - in pictures

Check out our list of players who will want to showcase their talents on a more consistent basis when football returns from coronavirus-induced lockdown

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  Eden Hazard – The Belgian was signed amid much fanfare but has been dogged by injuries since his initial €100 million (Dh406m) move to the Bernabeu last summer. Zinedine Zidane’s side have coped admirably without the fleet-footed forward to sit two points behind leaders Barcelona in La Liga. On his day Hazard is one of the top-five players in the world, but Madrid will want a better return than his solitary strike in 15 appearances when football returns to Spain. AFP

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  Paul Pogba – The Frenchman was Manchester United’s top scorer in 2018/19, but another that has seen his current campaign curtailed first by injury and now the coronavirus pandemic. Few players are as polarising as Pogba, whose skill, athleticism and control provide him with all the tools to be the most dominant midfielder on the planet but who too often fails to deliver. Reuters

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  Luka Jovic – The Serb faces prosecution for breaking his country’s strict quarantine laws on self-isolation from Covid-19, the latest setback on what has proved a disappointing nine months since his big-money move to Real Madrid. Jovic was one of the hottest properties on the market last summer, with his 27 goals in 2018/19 prompting Madrid to pay Germany’s Eintracht Frankfurt €60 million (Dh250m) for his signature. Zinedine Zidane views Karim Benzema as his first-choice No 9, and Jovic faces a real fight to dislodge the veteran Frenchman. Reuters

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  Nicolas Pepe – Arsenal broke their transfer record to lure the Ivorian forward from Lille but have seen only fleeting flashes of his undoubted talent so far. Four goals in 23 Premier League experiences does not accurately reflect Pepe’s growing influence on the Gunners, particularly under the guidance of Mikel Arteta, but the 24-year-old needs to be a leading figure alongside Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang if the North London club are to establish themselves back among the English elite. Reuters

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  Moise Kean – Everton had pulled off something of a coup in signing the young Italian in the summer of 2019 for €27.5 million. But Kean, 20, has found the going tough at Goodison in his debut season. The striker is already on his third manager on Merseyside, with Marco Silva sacked and caretaker Duncan Ferguson humiliating the former Juventus player by substituting him shortly after having come on as a substitute against Manchester United in December. The hope is that compatriot Carlo Ancelotti can coax the best out of a player good enough to keep company with Cristiano Ronaldo and Paulo Dybala during his time in Turin. Reuters

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  Alexis Sanchez – After a disappointing 19 months at Old Trafford, the Chilean moved to Inter Milan last August on loan. Italy is a league Sanchez knows well, having first made his name in Europe with Udinese, but the Serie A sojourn has so far proved a damp squib. Fifteen appearances for the Nerazzurri has yielded a solitary goal, and Sanchez was sent off in the match too, a 3-1 win against Sampdoria. With Romelu Lukaku and Lautaro Martinez firmly established as Antonio Conte’s preferred pair, Sanchez will need to convince the notoriously hard-to-please Italian he is worth a permanent move. Reuters

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  Javier Pastore – It feels like the world has been waiting for Pastore to really arrive for well over a decade now. A player who struggled to keep his head above the parapet alongside Paris Saint-Germain’s galaxy of stars, the Argentine midfielder moved to Roma in 2018 and has failed to justify his reported fee of €24.7m. A combination of injuries and loss of form has left many wondering whether Pastore, 30, will ever live up to the hype. AFP

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  Danny Rose – A World Cup semi-final with England in 2018 was followed by a Champions League final appearance with Tottenham a year later for Rose who had established himself as England’s best left-back among a generation of strong contenders. Rose’s relations with the club hierarchy and a successive managers in Mauricio Pochettino and Jose Mourinho saw him loaned to Newcastle United in January. Rose, now 29, has a contract at Spurs that runs until the summer of 2021, but the nagging sense is that a parting of the ways suits both parties. He will hope to use performances at Newcastle – when (or if) the Premier League does resume – to showcase his talent to suitors with Champions League aspirations. Reuters

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  Hakan Calhanoglu – The Turkey international, 26, has been likened to Mesut Ozil but has thus far failed to offer much evidence he will go on to have a similar career to the German World Cup winner. Perceived as too weak and slow to operate as a No 10, AC Milan have been operating Calhanoglu from a deeper play-making role that suits his vision and passing range. Reuters

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  Joelinton – Zero goals in over 2,000 minutes is a great stat for a goalkeeper or a defender, not so much for a striker. Newcastle’s record signing scored the winner against Tottenham in August and that has so far proved the highlight of the Brazilian’s time in the North-East. Newcastle’s long-suffering fans are used to under investment in the squad but they at least expect players to put in a shift if the goals are proving hard to come by, something Joelinton has failed to do on too many occasions. The former Hoffenheim striker would do well to watch videos of his predecessor at the club, Solomon Rondon, to get an idea of what’s expected in a struggling team. Reuters

It remains unclear when football will return as the world pulls together to combat the coronavirus pandemic.

Uefa has postponed the European Championship to 2021, as have Conmebol with the Copa America, as the governing bodies try to leave enough of a window open for domestic seasons to be completed over the summer.

When football does return, providing it is safe to do so, there are a few players who may feel they have points to prove, either at their new or existing clubs.

Eden Hazard has yet to show Real Madrid why he deserves to be mentioned in the same breath as Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo since his move from Chelsea last summer.

The Belgian forward has been hampered by injury, but will want to show the Bernabeu faithful the club were right to make him their club record signing.

As will Luka Jovic, the Serb signed from Eintracht Frankfurt, who has thus far struggled to replicate the form that saw him score 27 goals in 2018/19 in Madrid.

Others, such as Paul Pogba, are already established figureheads for their clubs. While there is no doubt of the Frenchman's talents, Manchester United are entitled to fill that the midfielder needs to deliver on a more consistent basis.

Above is a picture gallery of 10 players with points to prove when domestic football resumes.

To move on to the next image, click on the arrows, or if using a mobile device, simply swipe.