West Bromwich Albion are confident they can kick off the 2017-18 campaign with a fully fit squad, despite an outbreak of injury worries.

Gareth McAuley, James Morrison, Hal Robson-Kanu and Matty Phillips all had their international action cut short due to several fitness issues.

While the four are now currently recuperating over the summer period, Director of Performance Mark Gillett has backed his award-winning sports science team to make the quartet fit again for the opening day of the campaign.

Photo by Clive Rose/Getty Images

“I think that is a reasonable target for us and one we should be confident reaching,” Gillett said, speaking ahead of Albion’s pre-season training camp to Austria.

“There may be a requirement for some careful management throughout the pre-season schedule but there is nothing to prevent us thinking all four will be ‘good to go’ on August 12.”

And Gillett also shrugged off worries about James Morrison, who sustained a medial knee ligament injury during Scotland’s recent World Cup qualifier against England.

“It’s nothing too serious to worry about. We fully expect him to do things in Austria and we will manage his pre-season after that,” he said.

“We would expect him to be fit for the start of the season.”

Southampton forward Nathan Redmond believes the current youth structure in place at St Mary’s is the perfect indicator of what he hopes can be a successful future for the club.

Saints’ academy setup has been the foundation of their Premier League success in recent years, with Gareth Bale, Theo Walcott and Adam Lallana among those to graduate as youngsters from the club.

That has seen a number of big names make the move away from the south coast over the years, with Virgil van Dijk set to be the latest of those to exit to Liverpool this summer, following the likes of Sadio Mane and Dejan Lovren to Anfield.

But Redmond, who made the step up from Championship side Norwich last summer, feels the youth system is once again thriving, already seeing a number of starlets making their mark on the first team.

Photo by Julian Finney/Getty Images

“The club does give opportunities to players,” said Redmond, who is currently on international duty with England at the European Under-21 Championship.

“Prowsey (James Ward-Prowse) has had a long run in the team and done well, Sam McQueen has come through, Matt Targett, Jack Stephens have come in and done really well.

“Then you have the senior players like Fraser (Forster), Charlie (Austin) and Ryan (Bertrand). There is a great bunch of English players and we are technically good players. It’s good for the future of the club.”

AFC Bournemouth have unveiled M88 as their official kit sponsor for the 2017-18 season, in a new record-breaking deal for the club.

The two-year partnership, which is the biggest in the Cherries’ history, will see the M88 logo featured on the front of the club’s home, away and third kit when the new campaign kicks off on August 12.

It is also hoped that the new sponsorship deal will increase the Cherries’ publicity in the Asian industry, an objective backed by AFC Bournemouth boss Eddie Howe.

Photo by Steve Bardens/Getty Images

The manager said: “It is probably one of the biggest changes at the club in recent seasons, the amount of international exposure that AFC Bournemouth is getting is integral for the growth of the club.

“We are constantly looking at ways to take the club to new levels, both on and off the pitch, and we are delighted that M88 will be joining us as we continue our journey.”

With nearly two thirds of the Asian population following the Premier League, the Asian market has become the Premier League’s highest spending region on media rights.

Neill Blake, chief executive at AFC Bournemouth, added: “M88 is a partner that shares our ambition and aspirations as we look to grow in a new market and enhance our presence in Asia. We have an exciting season ahead, and we look forward to working with M88 for many years.”

John Terry is already out of the door at Stamford Bridge and looks set to be closing in on a move to either Aston Villa or Birmingham in the Championship.

But former Chelsea star Joe Cole reckons his former club might not realise what they had until it is gone, due to the 36-year-old’s massive presence for the Blues.

Attacking midfielder Cole, 35, spent seven seasons at Chelsea alongside then skipper Terry, where the pair were part of the dominant side that won three Premier League titles, three FA Cups, two League Cups, and came within a kick of winning the Champions League.

And after a 19-year relationship with the south-west Londoners, Cole is under no illusions that Terry will leave behind a big hole at Stamford Bridge.

“He is the greatest captain in the club’s history, that’s for sure,” he said.

“It is going to be a big miss for the club, I am sure the people will have an idea of what they can do to replace him but he might be one of those players that you don’t realise the void until he is gone.

“It is going to be tough to replace him. He has had a magic career. He has got many good years ahead of him, I am sure. He is one of the greatest, for sure.

“Time will be kind on JT, what he has achieved and his longevity as well. He is one of the greats – a top, top player.

“On the ball he was brilliant, he could play with both feet, his organisation [was great].

“You ask any striker who has played against him and it was a complete nightmare for them. He has a great understanding of the game.

“You don’t get into that category that he has put himself in without having all the aspects that you need. He will go down as a true warrior. Someone who made players around him better so I can’t speak highly enough of him and what he has done.”

Jamie Vardy, Riyad Mahrez and N’Golo Kante may have stolen the headlines in Leicester City’s remarkable Premier League title triumph in 2015-16 – but there were many other heroes that year, especially in defence.

Captain Wes Morgan was at the heart of things all season; Danny Simpson was re-born at right-back while Christian Fuchs was a man possessed down the left.

But nobody quite characterised this squad of journeymen like Robert Huth – Leicester’s ultimate unsung hero.

When the Foxes splashed £3m on the centre-back from Stoke City in 2015, it was the Potters who felt they had done a better deal, with the German struggling to recover from a serious knee injury.

His pace, which was hardly a prominent feature of his game, had all-but disappeared, and he had been usurped by younger, ball-playing centre-halves.

On the face of it, it seemed a logical move for Huth too. Leicester, at the time, were a step down from Stoke – fighting against relegation.

Photo by Cooper Neill/Getty Images

But Huth quickly started to return to his old, physically-imposing, composed self.

A throw-back to the days of warrior centre-backs who can’t pass to save their life, Leicester fans immediately connected with Huth. And boy did he repay them.

A rock at the heart of the Leicester backline which carried them over the line that season, Huth deserves as much credit as Vardy, Mahrez and co.

“They were like two bouncers,” former Arsenal defender Martin Keown said of Huth and Morgan.

“It was a no-nonsense approach, no one comes past us. This is our backyard and we are going to defend this with our lives.

“Huth was unfortunate at Stoke, the way he lost his place in the team and then came on loan to Leicester and his record since he has been at Leicester is phenomenal.”

Leicester may have returned to mid-table obscurity and Huth may be fighting to start this season.

What’s not in doubt, however, is his place in Leicester’s hearts. He will always be one of their greatest ever players.

Harry Winks was enjoying a breakthrough season for Tottenham last year but saw his campaign curtailed by injury in early April.

Now the 21-year-old midfielder is eager to make up for lost time as he aims to be ready for the start of the new campaign.

Winks made 33 appearances in all competitions for Tottenham last season, establishing himself as a viable option in the middle of the park alongside Mousa Dembélé, Victor Wanyama and Eric Dier.

And as he looks to recover from the ankle ligament injury that ruined his end of season, he is planning to build on that campaign.

He said: “I’m obviously still rehabbing and I’ll be in a good ten days or so before everyone, just getting myself fit, testing my ankle and making sure it’s okay to go back into full training,” he explained.

“I’ve almost got a pre-season before a pre-season just to get myself fit so hopefully I can come back in the best shape I can possibly be in.

“I try not to think about that moment because it was a horrible day. Obviously the last few weeks of the season I had to miss and we had some big games as well – the FA Cup semi-final, the last game at the Lane, but when I look back on the season as a whole, I’m proud of myself, of what I achieved, in the sense that I played a lot of games and to achieve playing in the Champions League, FA Cup and to score in the Premier League, it was a great season for me.

“I’m really happy with that but most importantly, you can’t rest on that and I know that – I know I’ve got to keep working hard, keep improving. What’s happened has happened and the most important thing now is to kick on next season, forget about this season and look forward to improving and hopefully taking that step further.”

As one of the most successful teams in Premier League history, Arsenal have had plenty of dramatic moments in the past 25 seasons.

Here we take a look back at some of their most iconic moments.

History in the making

Arsene Wenger was made to look a laughing stock at the end of the 2002-2003 season  after claiming at the start of the campaign he believed the Gunners could go a whole season unbeaten.

Instead they let the title slip through their fingers and an embarrassing home defeat to struggling Leeds United handed Fergie’s Manchester United another title.

But 12 months on and Wenger was having the last laugh as the North London side capped off a truly remarkable season by beating already-relegated Leicester 2-1 courtesy of a Thierry Henry penalty and a Patrick Vieira strike.

The Foxes had threatened to spoil the biggest of parties when former Gunner Paul Dickov poked one past Jens Lehmann.

Yet there was to be no stopping Wenger’s men and they went down in history by lifting the title after going a whole season without a single defeat.

Old Trafford delight

Arsenal engaged in a ding-dong battle with Manchester United between 1997 and 2004, exchanging titles (and fights) in a ferocious seven years.

In 2001, Sir Alex Ferguson’s Red Devils ran-riot against a hapless Arsenal side – trouncing them 6-1 to show the divide in class between the two rivals.

Wenger, however, would have his revenge and, after rebuilding his aging defence with the addition of Sol Campbell from bitter rivals Tottenham, Arsenal returned to Old Trafford the following season knowing a win would give them the title.

Photo credit: Getty Images

In a tense affair, United’s nemesis Freddie Ljungberg burst through the Red Devils backline and his strike was only parried by Fabien Barthez into the path of Sylvain Wiltord.

The utility striker nestled home to send the away end delirious and without first team regulars Henry and Dennis Bergkamp, Arsenal had snuck into Fergie’s back yard and snatched the title away from him.

Winning the league at White Hart Lane… again

To win the league at your closest rivals once must be gut-wrenching – as Arsenal did in 1971 – but to do it again must be unbearable.

Arsenal arrived at White Hart Lane knowing just a point would make them champions and against a floundering Spurs side, the task seemed a formality.

And that job was going to plan when a sumptuous move was rounded-off by Patrick Vieira and a ruthless Robert Pires strike gave Arsenal a 2-0 half-time lead.

But Spurs rallied and in an attempt to scupper the Arsenal party, pegged back the visitors with goals from Jamie Redknapp and Robbie Keane to draw 2-2.

The White Hart Lane faithful were delighted with the comeback but it was still not enough to stop Arsenal repeating their heroics from 33 years previously. The Gunners rushed over to their supporters to toast the finest of campaigns in their rivals stomping ground.

Photo credit: Getty Images

‘It’s Tony Adams would you believe it?!’

Arsenal’s new manager Arsene Wenger was revolutionising English football, swapping beers for broccoli in the Gunners canteen and imprinting his own brand of football on the Premier League.

His first full season in charge resulted in the Gunners needing one more victory in their final home match of the season against Everton to hoist the Premier League title for the first time.

Everton had nothing to play for and Arsenal soon took advantage thanks to a Slavan Bilic own goal and a superb brace from Marc Overmars.

But perhaps the most poignant moment was Tony Adams’ galloping run down field before lashing the ball home to round off a 4-1 victory.

The Gunners veteran then raised his hand aloft as he basked in the glory of a first Premier League title. As Martin Tyler finely put it: “That, sums it all up.”

The end of an era

Arsenal’s time was coming to an end at Highbury as they prepared for a new life at the Emirates Stadium just down the road.

But the Gunners final match against Wigan Athletic had far greater meaning.

Photo credit: Getty Images

Tottenham were on the cusp of usurping their bitter enemies and snatching a top four place away from Wenger’s side as they went to Upton Park knowing three points would guarantee a Champions League berth.

But Arsenal were not to be denied on one of their most historic days and Henry, the king of Highbury, brought the house down with a show-stopping hat-trick which he rounded off by kissing the Highbury turf.

That 4-2 win over the Latics, combined with an ‘under-the-weather’ Spurs losing to West Ham United, meant Arsenal had pipped their North London counterparts and could celebrate their memories at Highbury knowing Champions League football was secure.

It’s a transfer saga that looks set to rumble on all summer, but Southampton’s Virgil van Dijk is the one in control of his own future according to Liverpool legend John Aldridge.

Many expect the Dutch centre-back to be a Liverpool player come next season, but for now he is still a part of Southampton’s books, as the managerless side look to keep hold of their key assets.

The likes of Adam Lallana, Sadio Mane and Rickie Lambert have all made the move from St Mary’s to Anfield in recent years, though Van Dijk is just one campaign in to a new six-year contract with the Saints.

However, Aldridge – who scored 50 times in 83 appearances for Liverpool – believes the 25-year-old could hold his current club to ransom in his desires to further his career, after the Reds were forced to apologise for an approach earlier this summer.

Photo credit: Getty Images

“Tapping up goes on all the time in the game and even if Liverpool went a bit far in their pursuit of Van Dijk before they spoke to Southampton, I don’t believe this transfer story is dead in the water,” Aldridge said.

“Van Dijk needs to make the next move and I reckon he will tell Southampton that he wants out and he wants to go to Liverpool.

“Players and their agents hold all the power these days and if he says he won’t kick another ball for Southampton and demands a move, it will happen.

“Let’s look at the facts here: Southampton paid £13m for this guy a couple of years ago and they could end up making a profit of around £40m on him.

“I believe Celtic have a sell-on clause in the contract that will give them a handy sum of cash, but Southampton will be in the money and the cash they get from selling Van Dijk could give their new manager a massive transfer kitty to work with.”